2013 – Tom McKee

Tom McKee

Tom McKee often reflected that he loved his profession so much he would have worked for free. Sportscaster Brian Williams says McKee had an amazing ability to put his audience at ease, that he was the consummate host and an excellent play-by-play man.
“Tom McKee was one of the first generation of major TV sportscasters in this country along with Don Chevrier, Ernie Afaganis, Don Wittman, and Ted Reynolds. They were the ‘big five’ for years. When you watched Tom on television you could tell he enjoyed life. He was fun to be around. He was a good public speaker. He was a great teammate. I learned an awful lot from Tom McKee.”
He handled a myriad of sports but is perhaps best known for his coverage of the CFL and the Toronto Blue Jays. He also worked several Olympic, Commonwealth and Pan Am Games.
His was the first-ever face and voice on the inaugural telecast when the Blue Jays took to the field on April 7, 1977. He moved behind the camera in the role of Producer of Blue Jays Baseball during the team’s most glorious seasons for more than a decade.
Tom was 76 when he died after a long illness on November 5, 2012.