Was gifted artist and designer Death takes longtime OTR devotée Dave Warren in Ohio

Was gifted artist and designer
Death takes longtime OTR devotée Dave Warren in Ohio

David E. Warren, an accomplished commercial artist and designer in the Cincinnati area, died March 19th after a long illness. He was 67.
Dave was perhaps best known to OTR followers as the founder and managing director of “The Dave Warren Players,” a repertory group dedicated to re-creating old-time radio programs.
Jay Hickerson, publisher of OTR Digest and producer of the annual Friends of Old-time Radio conventions in Newark, noted that the Dave Warren Players was “the first repertory group to perform at the Friends of Old-time Radio convention” and that Dave “did the art work for all of our covers for the convention booklet. He will be missed.”
“We’ve lost one of our dear friends,” Jay added.
Longtime friend Lee Munsick said that Dave, a championship swimmer and diver in his youth, “made us laugh—a lot! Not an ability to be dismissed easily.”
“He was a fine artist,” Lee added, noting that “numerous old-time radio and other publications bore his artwork on their covers and inside. Recently, he was honored to be asked to participate in the dedication and hanging of his oil portrait of U.S. Grant, displayed at the President Grant birthplace in Ohio.”

Lee noted that Dave lived a life with diabetes, and “as so many afflicted with this condition Dave gained a great deal of weight, and it took its toll.”
“He was receiving dialysis treatment, which negatively affected his heart. He died in his sleep.”
sperdvac’s Barbara J. Watkins, who with Bobb Lynes were members of Dave’s group, said that Dave had directed and performed in an “Amos ‘n’ Andy” re-creation at one of sperdvac’s convention, noting that “he and John Rayburn did perfect imitations of Amos and Andy.”
Lee Munsick noted that one of Dave’s “best known and often requested portrayals featured characters created by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll in the Amos ‘n’ Andy series.” He added that, “now Dave can perform with them all.”
Dave was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio University where he was a mid-American diving champion.
As a commercial artist in the Cincinnati area, Dave had such clients as Proctor and Gamble, Kroger Company, and the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cincinnati Reds. He had painted many portraits for major firms of retiring or deceased corporate presidents and chief executive officers.
Dave coaches Bantam football for many years with many league championships. Several

of his team members went on to star in high school, college, and even professional football.
Dave is survived by his wife, Lois, and by his daughter, Loralee Wuertz; two sons, Shawn and Jake; and by five grandchildren.
Dave’s crowning achievement, he once said, was being invited by his hometown, Portsmouth, to sign a star on the Portsmouth Wall of Fame along side many other great people including Roy Rogers.
Dave was interred at Mound Cemetery on March 25 in Piketon, Ohio.
Lee Munsick notes that messages may be sent to Lois at Mrs. David Warren, 5463 Edalbert Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45239.
“Good-bye for now, Dave. We shall miss you. Greatly. Keep ‘em laughing up there!” Lee said.

It’s November 1,2,3 for 2002 Convention The true, exact, precise, and actual dates for the 2002 sperdvac OTR convention are November 1, 2, and 3. Yes, the first weekend in November.
We were correct in reporting the second weekend in November, but the dates were changed because of unforeseen circumstances.
In last month’s article about the Hacienda hotel, we published the correct dates but we failed to make the corrections in the sperdvac schedule of meetings.
We apologize for the confusion and any inconvenience.