Gary Shore was one of the first people I met when I came to Channel 2 in 1995. He was very outgoing and friendly.
My favorite memory of Gary concerns one of the first times I ever went out to field produce a live shot. It was Oktoberfest, and we were doing weather live from the venue.
A field producer's job is basically to make sure everyone knows what's going on, and that everyone's where they need to be when they need to be there. The key ingredient of a live shot, of course, is the talent.
Well, Gary was in his element, talking to all the folks as they passed by, visiting the various vendors, having a good time and reviewing his notes for the forecast.
About 2 minutes before air I went to make a final check and realized -- with horror -- that Gary was nowhere to be seen.
Remember, this was 1995, so we had no cell phones. It's a busy Friday afternoon at Oktoberfest, there are thousands of people wandering around (many of whom had enjoyed a few beers) and I have mere seconds to find our missing meteorologist, get him miked up in front of the camera, and hit our slot in the news.
Happily, I located him in about 45 seconds, he was getting some streudel or schnitzel or something Germanically edible. Not known for my shyness, I grabbed his arm and yelled something to the effect of "We're on in 30 seconds!" and began hauling him through the crowd toward the camera.
I got on the 2-way radio (no cell phones, remember?) and informed the control room that they would indeed have a weathercast, handed Gary his microphone, and prayed we had made it in time.
The photographer, in contact with the control room, started counting down... "Five, four..."
I look to see Gary, calmly and without the least sign of stress, leaning forward toward the camera and using the lens as a mirror so he could smooth a stray lock of hair back into place.
I can't really describe the state of near-panic I was still in (I saw my brief career at Channel 2 coming to a swift end) but for Gary it wasn't even an incident -- just another day at the office.
That unflappable nature served him very well in his profession. When the chips were down, Gary always stayed calm and professional. His demeanor couldn't help but invoke a feeling of confidence in his listeners.
Yes, Gary ruffled a few feathers at times. He didn't always see eye-to-eye with folks, and wasn't shy about expressing his thoughts. Still, to my knowledge no one ever questioned his professionalism, nor his dedication to his craft and to the safety of his viewers.
Gary will be missed.
(8-{)
Russell Mills
Online Content Director
KJRH-TV Channel 2
PO Box 2 Tulsa, OK 74101
(918) 748-1560
The FIRST and ONLY station in Oklahoma to broadcast local news in HD!