Tributes pour in for Mark Dailey
Posted December 7, 2010 9:12 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – Broadcasters from coast to coast are paying tribute to iconic Citytv newsman Mark Dailey.
Dailey, who was also the voice of the station, died at the age of 57, Monday, with his family by his side.
Moses Znaimer, the founder of Citytv, said he “always believed the sound of the human voice is the one that lingers best in memory. Marks will remain in ours for a long, long time.”
- Click here to watch Citytv’s video tribute.
CBC news anchor Peter Mansbridge said Dailey was “a first-rate journalist who found his best stories on the street.”
CTV’s Lloyd Robertson said Dailey was “a warm and caring broadcaster whose awesome vocal versatility helped give Citytv its strong and cheeky presence.”
After successfully beating prostate cancer for six years, Dailey announced in September that cancer had spread to his kidneys. He underwent surgery in October, but the disease spread to his lungs and the rest of his body.
Mark began his career in Ohio and then moved to at CKLW in Windsor. He joined CityPulse in 1979, helmed the crime beat for more than 10 years and was Citytv Tonight’s news anchor for nearly a decade.
“On behalf of everybody who has ever made a living, talking for a living, I can guarantee you, we’ve all tried to say ‘everywhere’, but none of us could do it like Mark,” said fellow broadcaster Gene Valaitis.
His voice and delivery became etched in the collective psyche of Toronto. Daily was held in high esteem not only by his viewers but also by his colleagues.
“I was at Citytv for 15 years and I never heard a story about Mark Daily losing his temper or being difficult,” said 680News sportscaster Peter Gross. “[He was] a wonderful, lovely, easy going, pleasant, always smiling man.”
Dailey was a tireless advocate for charities like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Salvation Army and the Hospital for Sick Children.
“Mark got involved in a lot of charities, very seldom said no to anyone who asked him,” said Gary Grant, former Toronto police staff superintendent.
When Grant introduced Crime Stoppers to Canada in 1984, Dailey backed it.
“He loved the idea of partnerships, with the police and the media, and the power they could bring to solving crimes, and Mark was a real advocate that way and tireless in his support of Crime Stoppers,” Grant said.
Dailey will be greatly missed by everyone at 680News.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.
