Vancouver broadcaster Fred Latremouille.The Canadian Press
Vancouver broadcaster Fred Latremouille, whose affable voice was once the first thing thousands of people woke up to every morning, has died. He was 69.
Latremouille was a fixture on the city's radio scene from the 1980s to 2007 as he moved to various stations, bringing his fans with him.
After retiring, Latremouille spent time in Hawaii and then settled in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he died at his home Thursday after a brief illness.
Latremouille began his radio career in Peace River, Alta., when he was 16 and went on to work in television as an actor and weatherman.
He won several awards for his advertising genius, is a member of the Canadian Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and has a star on the B.C. Walk of Fame.
In the mid-1980s, Latremouille made a name for himself in the morning slot at CFUN, where traffic reporter Cathy Baldazzi joined him as co-host and later become his wife.
The pair then took their Latremornings show to KISS FM as legions of fans of the duo, who were known for their wit and laid-back style, followed them to their new home on the dial.
Cathy Latremouille said her husband's talent, his amazing way of finding humour in anything and his ability to connect with his audience gave him staying power for five decades.
"Fred and I met on the radio and enjoyed 35 years together as a team both on and off the air," she said in a statement.
In 2006, after six years of living part-time in Hawaii, the couple returned to the airwaves, again on a morning show, but this time on Clear-FM, where they worked for a year before retiring.
Latremouille was also known for his charity work, including the annual Christmas Wish Breakfast, which had the couple broadcasting from a hotel where listeners dropped off gifts for needy kids.
Latremouille is survived by his wife, his mother, stepfather, sisters, brothers and many nieces and nephews.
Below, Fred Latremouille hosts a B.C. government video from 1982 on issues that still resonate today: The growth of the province's resource sector and how to ensure British Columbians get good jobs.