Joseph Roy Dabadie Obit, Pointe Coupee, LA submitted by: James L. Dabadie ****************** ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ****************** Former BR radio, TV executive dies By J. TAYLOR RUSHING Advocate staff writer Joseph Roy Dabadie, who steered Baton Rouge’s first commercial radio station and one of the city’s first television stations, died Thursday, January, 13, 2000. Relatives said Dabadie died of pneumonia at Baton Rouge General Medical Center. He was 88 years old. Born March 18, 1911, in New Roads, Dabadie grew up in Baton Rouge and attended local schools as well as LSU. He began his media career in 1937 as a salesman at WJBO. He later became vice president and general manager before leaving in 1953 to become general manager of WBRZ. He later served as advertising and sales manager for Community Coffee. WJBO, which began broadcasting Dec. 12, 1934, was the city’s first commercial radio station. WBRZ, now an ABC affiliate, went on the air in 1955, two years after WAFB hit the airwaves. Dabadie took a part-time position as a bailiff with the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in 1972. Records at the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, which hires bailiffs, show Dabadie never retired from the job he held for 28 years. "He was someone with a great deal of charm. He lived life to the fullest," said Ralph Sims, who knew Dabadie since the early 1930s and worked alongside him at WJBO starting in 1939. "I would come up with programs, and he would make sales," Sims said. Revenue and earnings were strong while Dabadie was there, Sims said. Douglas Manship Jr., publisher of The Advocate, grew up knowing Dabadie. The Manship family owns Capital City Press, which includes The Advocate and WBRZ. "He was a sincerely good person to work for and have working for us," Manship said. "Friendly, funny and a sincerely nice guy. They were smaller companies then, so I knew him on a real personal basis and the loss I feel is more of a personal loss." Dabadie, Sims and another friend, Alex Postlethwaite, all married childhood friends from Natchez, Miss. The "Natchez Connection" held the three men together for more than 60 years. "He was delightful -- just a fine man and a very affable person," said Postlethwaite. "He was very successful with the station." First Circuit Court of Appeal Deputy Clerk Karen West knew Dabadie for 20 years at her courthouse. "He loved what he did, working here at the court," West said. "Everybody was fond of him. He was a dependable person." A memorial service for Dabadie will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at St. James Episcopal Church, 208 N. Fourth St. He had requested his body be donated to medical science. Over the years Dabadie served in membership or leadership roles with the local chapter of the American Red Cross, the Lions Club, the Sales Managers Club of Baton Rouge, the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters, the Salvation Army and the Baton Rouge Country Club. He was also a member of St. James Episcopal Church, the Harness Club, the City Club and Sigma Nu fraternity at LSU. He is survived by a brother, J.C. Dabadie Jr. of Baton Rouge and two sisters, Eloise Ragsdale of Houston and Helen Cart of Crowley.