Tony Cashman, humourous racounteur and author of many books on Edmonton history, passed in 2024.
(Edmonton Journal obituary EJ, June 10, 2024)
A.W. "Tony" Cashman 1923 – 2024
Tony Cashman, a broadcaster, author, and playwright who delighted generations of Edmontonians by bringing to life the colourful stories of his beloved home's history, passed away peacefully on June 3 at the age of 101.
Growing up in Edmonton, Tony detested that Canadian history taught in schools was a lifeless landscape of dates, places, and names. After returning from WWII – where he flew 30 missions as an RCAF navigator – he set out to change that narrative. While working as a CJCA radio news reporter, Tony found that "the stories of happenings in Edmonton's past were invariably more interesting, more dynamic, and more amusing than current events." He convinced skeptical station managers to back a three-month trial for weekly radio broadcasts called "The Edmonton Story" featuring the city's entertaining history. The series continued for more than 700 episodes and was so popular the first of many collections of The Edmonton Story were printed in 1956, launching a publishing career that extended more than a half century and produced more than 15 books.
Tony always had a day job – reporter at CJCA, CFRN and Edmonton Journal, program director at CKUA radio, and curator of the Vista 33 museum – but in his spare time the 1924 Underwood typewriter given by his mom to encourage his writing career was steadily producing new books. Over the years he wrote histories of Alberta's nursing profession, Alberta Motor Association and Edmonton Northlands. His book Singing Wires traced the revolution sparked by the telephone. And his illustrated histories of Alberta and Western Canada were best-sellers.
Long after retirement he wrote Gateway to the North about Edmonton's impressive aviation history and oversaw revivals of The Edmonton Story for the UofA Press. At the age of 71 he joined his great friend Frank Glenfield in the first of 10 Fringe plays that brought to life historical figures such as Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby and Emily Carr. He was honoured by the City as an Edmontonian of the Century and by the province with the Alberta Order of Excellence.
More importantly to Tony, he helped generations of Edmonton writers and historians share their own stories with families, friends, and community.
As Tony always explained, everything he accomplished was thanks to his marriage to Veva Costello, who was not only a loving partner in raising their three boys, but professionally a source of encouragement and advice as well as the typist of every word he published until she passed in 2005. Both Veva and Tony grew up during the Depression, lost their fathers at a young age, and endured the sorrows of war. But they had the gift of optimism that carried them through life and inspired them to travel across the world in their retirement. Even after he entered long-term care at age 98, Tony's cheerfulness earned him the nickname Mr. Optimistic.
Tony always considered it a privilege to wake up each day in his beloved Edmonton, a city where he found friendship and opportunity. He was also grateful for the love and support of his family, especially sons Hal, Bernie and Paul (wife Laurel and daughter Helen), Cathy and Larry Leonard, and the California Cashmans, as well and many friends, colleagues and collaborators.
A Prayer Service will be held on Wednesday, June 12 at 7:30 pm, at Connelly-McKinley Funeral Home 10011 114 Street NW, Edmonton. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, June 14 at 10:00 am at St. Joseph's Basilica 10044 113 Street, Edmonton.
In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the Edmonton People in Need Shelter Society https://epins.ca/ or the Good Samaritan Society https://gss.org/donate/ , whose Southgate staff provided loving care.
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