Former WGBH broadcast engineer Vern Coleman dies

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Vern ColemanVern Coleman, 86, who worked 14 years as an audio engineer at WGBH working on such shows as The French Chef, The Boston Pops and Evening at Symphony, died March 18 at his home in Marstons Mills, Mass., after a long battle with leukemia.

He was nominated for a primetime Emmy Award for best live sound in 1976, for his work on New Year’s Eve at Pops; he attended the Emmy ceremonies in Hollywood but lost to the soundman for Johnny Carson.

Coleman also worked  as a contract engineer for WBUR in Boston, among other stations, and as a staff engineer of commercial WCVB.

The lifelong resident of Cape Cod was born in Hyannis to local artist and educator Vernon H. Coleman and Ruby E. Coleman. He began his broadcast career in 1943, a year before he graduated from Barnstable High School, at Cape Cod’s only radio station, WOCB in West Yarmouth.

Survivors include his wife Gloria; son Vernon Coleman; stepsons Mark and Brian Tracy; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by first wife Thelma and their two sons, Carl Coleman and Lawrence Coleman.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. April 28 in the Federated Church of Hyannis.

The family requests donations in his memory to VNA Hospice and Palliative Care, 434 Route 134, Suite D-3, South Dennis, MA 02660.

A version of this obituary originally appeared on Current.org March 22, 2012.

Please send death notices to [email protected]

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