Coneybeare gave life to characters Jerome the Giraffe and Rusty the Rooster on beloved children’s show
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Rod Coneybeare, who enjoyed a three-decade run at the CBC hosting, producing and appearing on a variety of shows, including voicing the beloved characters Rusty and Jerome from The Friendly Giant, has died.
Coneybeare, according to an obituary from his family that appeared in the Toronto Star, died in Lindsay, Ont., at the age of 89.
The family said he “leaves behind beloved and everlasting memories of a man with a biting intellect, a dark and incisive humour, an appreciation of art, popular music and classic movies.”
Born in Belleville, Ont., Coneybeare was influenced by radio at a young age. After early success as a teen appearing on a CBC radio show and selling a radio program script to NBC, Coneybeare told the Star in 1970 he became a “radio bum,” working at Ontario stations in Orillia, Chatham, Guelph and Ottawa, while supplementing his income with work in the theatre world.
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In the late 1950s, he was selected to voice characters on The Friendly Giant, the children’s show created by and starring Bob Homme.
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One of the best CBC shows ever on. None of those type of shows are on anymore.
May he Rest In Peace and thank you for being a part of Canadian history.
Iconic performer and a good guy. RIP Rod.
Its always nice to put a face and a name to someone that I heard daily for many years. The Friendly Giant was a kids show that (as far as my memory permits) was always kind and gentle.