Thanks for the Memories, Mark

I have some sad news to report. Mark Dailey, news anchor and announcer for Toronto station City TV and old friend of my family, has died after a relapse of cancer. He was 57 years old. I haven't seen him -- I don't think anyone in my family has seen him -- in years, but I fondly remember his humour and kindness. He was very tall (especially because I was very small). I don't even remember Mark that well, but he was such a nice man and a very talented news anchor. I used to call him "Marky." I have a pink stuffed bunny he and his wife gave me when I was five, in the hospital getting my tonsils out. The bunny had belonged to their dog. My sister and I used to say that their dog was girlfriend to another family friend's dog.

Just little things I remember.

I've also been fond of his work. He delivered the news so uniquely. Many newscasters on all sorts of stations seem to use the same inflections, gestures, head nods and facial expressions. Not Mark. He kind of had this, hmm. I'd guess you'd call it a no nonsense approach, yet he reported with a lot of character and style. Never robotic or calculated it seemed. He always felt completely genuine. A credit to his field. Announcing his death at various points this evening, his colleagues were obviously upset. It was hard to watch. He had been at City TV for more than thirty years. I imagine he influenced and touched a lot of people. Mark was certainly one of the most famous Toronto news anchors, if not the most famous, and had been for years.

Mark was also really entertaining. Check out these funny voiceover clips he did for "Great Movies," City TV's name for their movie nights, and the news. His voice and humour are amazing!:



I hope there will be some sort of tribute to his life and career. It will be strange not to see him on the news anymore. I admired him for being so public about his cancer, which he was first diagnosed with in 2004. He discussed it with so much grace and class and brought awareness to the need for cancer screening. He worked throughout his illness. Such courage and class. He will be missed.


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