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New England personality who played 'Bozo the Clown' dies at 89
Frank Avruch played Bozo the Clown from 1959 until 1970
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Updated: 8:14 AM EDT Mar 22, 2018
Longtime WCVB-TV personality Frank Avruch has died at the age of 89, according to his family. During more than 40 years on the air, Avruch wore many hats including, "Good Day" contributor, host of "The Great Entertainment" and WCVB's "Man About Town."“In this business that is not known for longevity, I have managed to hang in there for a long time,” Avruch said during a retrospective of his career when he was inducted into the National Television Academy's Gold Circle.Avruch, a Boston University graduate, started on radio before making the transition to television. “I’ve done it all. I’ve done radio, I’ve done TV, I’ve done booth announcing, disc jockey shows ... interviews -- serious interviews, not-so-serious interviews,” Avruch said in the retrospective.Perhaps most famously, Avruch played Bozo the Clown from 1959 until 1970.“A lot of people when they talk to me now, they are sort of hesitant to bring it up. How could this suave, somewhat sophisticated man be this guy with red-orange hair and big shoes? And I said, that is one of the highlights of my career,” he said.Avruch died Tuesday at his Boston home after a long battle with heart disease, his family said. Avruch is survived by his wife, Betty, two sons, grandchildren, relatives and friends."While it's hard to say goodbye, we celebrate the legacy of joy and laughter he brought to millions of children around the world as Bozo the Clown on TV and as a UNICEF Ambassador and later as host of Channel 5's Great Entertainment and Boston's Man About Town," his family said in a statement. "Our dad loved the children of all ages who remembered being on his show and was always grateful for their kind words. We will miss him greatly."
BOSTON — Longtime WCVB-TV personality Frank Avruch has died at the age of 89, according to his family.
During more than 40 years on the air, Avruch wore many hats including, "Good Day" contributor, host of "The Great Entertainment" and WCVB's "Man About Town."
“In this business that is not known for longevity, I have managed to hang in there for a long time,” Avruch said during a retrospective of his career when he was inducted into the National Television Academy's Gold Circle.
Avruch, a Boston University graduate, started on radio before making the transition to television.
“I’ve done it all. I’ve done radio, I’ve done TV, I’ve done booth announcing, disc jockey shows ... interviews -- serious interviews, not-so-serious interviews,” Avruch said in the retrospective.
Perhaps most famously, Avruch played Bozo the Clown from 1959 until 1970.
“A lot of people when they talk to me now, they are sort of hesitant to bring it up. How could this suave, somewhat sophisticated man be this guy with red-orange hair and big shoes? And I said, that is one of the highlights of my career,” he said.
Avruch died Tuesday at his Boston home after a long battle with heart disease, his family said. Avruch is survived by his wife, Betty, two sons, grandchildren, relatives and friends.
"While it's hard to say goodbye, we celebrate the legacy of joy and laughter he brought to millions of children around the world as Bozo the Clown on TV and as a UNICEF Ambassador and later as host of Channel 5's Great Entertainment and Boston's Man About Town," his family said in a statement. "Our dad loved the children of all ages who remembered being on his show and was always grateful for their kind words. We will miss him greatly."
