Don Gillis, a sports anchor for decades in Boston; at 85

DON GILLIS (File 1995/The Boston Globe)

While working atop a telephone pole on a raw winter day in Nantucket shortly after his discharge from the Navy in 1946, Don Gillis remembered the advice from a teachers at New Bedford's Holy Family High School.

"The nun told him 'Donald Gillis, God has given you the gift of a pleasant voice. It would be a shame to waste it,' " recalled Gillis's son Gary, of Needham. "Well, it didn't take him long to get off that pole and enroll in the Leland Powers School of Radio, Television and Theater."

In 1951, following a short stint at New Bedford radio station WBSM, Mr. Gillis was hired by WHDH radio in Boston through an open audition, launching a legendary career that included broadcasting games of the city's four professional sports teams and becoming Boston's first television sports anchor at WHDH (now WCVB-TV, Ch. 5), in 1962.

"They [the viewers] were kind enough to invite me into their houses every night," Mr. Gillis once said. "The least I could do was give them a reason to ask me back."

Mr. Gillis, who was also sports director at WCVB-TV from 1972 to 1983 and hosted a popular candlepin bowling show for nearly 40 years, died Wednesday at 85 in Falmouth. He had battled Alzheimer's disease in recent years, according to his son.

"Don Gillis wrote the blueprint for local sportscasting, which I use to this very day," said current Channel 5 sports anchor Mike Lynch, who came to the station in 1982. "He left an enormously large pair of shoes which I am still trying to fill, and he remains the conscience of our sports department."

As a salute in last evening's broadcast, Lynch vacated the sports anchor desk in honor of Mr. Gillis, whose picture appeared on screen.

In a statement, WCVB remembered Mr. Gillis as "the dean of Boston television sports."

"Don was a beloved and founding member of the Channel 5 family," the station said. "Generations of local viewers grew up watching Don. A true Boston legend, he leaves a legacy of warmth, humor, and mentorship to the many who followed in his footsteps."

In the days before videotape and satellite dishes, Mr. Gillis enjoyed the challenge of providing film and up-to-date information nightly, and his efforts resulted in eight consecutive Massachusetts Sportscaster of the Year awards.

According to his family, he considered the opportunity to call the 1969 Harvard-Yale 29-29 tie and Bob Cousy's 50-point performance for the Celtics in a quadruple overtime victory against Syracuse in 1953 his biggest broadcasting thrills.

Jeff Twiss, the Celtics spokesman, described Mr. Gillis as "a true gentleman and true professional at his craft. The players and coaches really gravitated toward him because of his honesty and fairness. You always felt comfortable around him, and Red Auerbach always said `You're always going to get a fair shake from Don Gillis.' "

Born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Donald A. Gillis moved with his family to New Bedford, where he played football and basketball at Holy Family. He worked for New England Telephone & Telegraph Co. prior to enlisting in the service. As a fire control officer on the USS Missouri, he was an eyewitness to the Japanese surrender ceremonies.

During the 1957 baseball season, Mr. Gillis joined the Red Sox broadcast team when lead announcer Curt Gowdy was recuperating from a back injury. He also hosted a popular weekly sports talk show, "The Voice of Sports," before his debut as a sports anchor in October 1962, the same night that Johnny Carson began his stint on "The Tonight Show." WHDH expanded its 11 p.m. news program, sponsored by Texaco, from 15 to 30 minutes to incorporate its weather and sports segments.

"They wanted my dad to wear a Texaco uniform on the set and pay him an extra $15," said his son, a former Boston television sports reporter at Channel 7. "But he refused and with five children at home, that was hard to do. I think he was most proud of his versatility and of the mutual respect between himself and the individuals he reported on. He understood they operated in a unique environment."

Former Red Sox player and manager Johnny Pesky appreciated that professionalism.

"Don was a rookie announcer who got better and better," Pesky said. "And of course, he had that good voice. He asked good questions, he was straight with everybody and made everyone feel comfortable, and that made him welcome in the manager's office and locker room. "

In addition to his son, Mr. Gillis, a longtime Needham resident, leaves his wife, Kathy (McGarry) of Falmouth; another son, Richard, and three daughters, Donna Atwood, Peggy Guillet, and Nancy Sanderson, all of Needham; a stepson, Bernard McGarry of Falmouth; his former wife, Barbara Gillis of Needham, a brother, Hugh, of Katy, Texas; and 12 grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will be said Tuesday at 10 a.m. in St. Patrick's Church in Falmouth. Burial will be in the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.