Obituary of Rody Blancher

Rody Blancher Rody Hayne Blancher passed away December 20, 2015. He was in hospital after 8 years in long term care in Regina. Born May 30, 1930 in Morrisburg, Ontario, Rody was educated there. He was active in school dramatics, politics, musis and sang in a church choir. A Ryerson Institute Broadcast Arts Course provided him with the education which helped him to enter radio, first in Owen Sound, Ontario in 1952. Within a year he was appointed announcer and promotion manager of CFRA, Ottawa. Rody returned to Owen Sound in 1955 as Program Director with increased duties. In 1957 he moved to Saskatchewan; first to CFQC in Saskatoon and then in 1962 to CBC Radio in Regina. He quickly moved up the ladder from Announcer-Operator to Music & Variety Producer to Executive Producer and lastly Senior Music Producer. As a producer Rody was responsible for all CBC Radio music and variety production in Sask., including national network and local features. He designed and ran CBC’s talent development projects in Sask. One of these projects was the production in 1975 of Ken Mitchell’s country opera CRUEL TEARS for a national audience. It featured Saskatoon’s Humphrey & The Dumptrucks and an all Saskatchewan cast. Rody consulted on recording studio and work-area design for the new CBC Broadcast Centre in Regina in 1977. That year Rody managed and produced the first CBC Festival in Saskatoon. International opera singer Jon Vickers (from Prince Albert) was one of the featured stars! A career highlight for Rody was a 1970 CBC Radio Overseas Concert Party for a December overseas tour. He supervised cast and crew in a series of shows at Lahr, Germany and at Nicosia, Cyprus. Then he produced and directed the radio and stage shows involved. Gordie Tapp was part of the talent group. In 1985 Rody took early retirement from CBC. He assumed a new role immediately as Performing Arts Consultant for the Sask. Arts Board. Rody was a charter member of the City of Regina Arts Policy Committee which studied municipal arts funding. Their work resulted in the Regina Arts Commission. Rody also served as a member and chairman of the Cultural Advisory Committee of Sask. Trust for Sports, Culture and Recreation. 1987 in a change of direction Rody became an Investment Advisor for ProFund which later became Assante. With his keen mind and good study habits he became a student of the business. Through the years he supplemented his income for his second retirement which began in 1999. Hobbies and interests included: concerts, theatre, wine-making, photography, gardening, reading and doing the crosswords every morning in ink. He also loved travelling – most especially to New York, Venezuela, Greece, Mexico (a dozen times) and lastly to Tunisia in 2007. As a tuba player Rody was a member of the Governor General’s Footguard Band and later with Saskatoon and Regina Symphony orchestras. After retirement he played with the Band-its Concert and Jazz Band-its plus Queen City Brass in Regina. Celebrating Rody’s life and cherishing memories of his hearty laugh, wonderful smile and loving nature are: his wife of 42 years Janel, sons Phil (Sharon), Neil (Eglee), daughter Elizabeth Moxley, six grandchildren, one great-grandchild; his older brother Charles (Lee), Carol the mother of his children, plus several nieces and nephews. Predeceased by parents Irene and Kenneth, his sister Mary (Jack) Brooks and son-in-law Jim Cooper. We invite you to join family and friends as we celebrate a life well lived at a Musical and Memorial Event on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. at the Royal Regina Golf Club, 5401 – 11th Avenue., Regina, SK. In lieu of flowers, donations in Rody’s memory may be made to Regina Symphony Orchestra, 2424 College Avenue, Regina, SK S4P 1C8 (reginasymphony.com). On-line condolences may be made at paragonfuneralservices.com