Ernie Coombs is presently lying in a Toronto hospital after suffering a stroke. I heard tonight that his condition is grave which seems to translate into, “it doesn’t look like he’s going to make it”.
Many of you might be asking “Who the hell is Ernie Coombs?”
He is one of my childhood idols, one of my heroes. With his friends Casey and Finnegan, Wise Old Owl, and Aunt Bird Ernie Coombs has delighted generations of children as Mr. Dressup.
This is just more horrible news that I don’t want to hear.
When I was a child I loked forward to ten o’ clock every morning so that I could spend half an hour with the greatest guy on earth. He inspired and delighted me with every story told, every picture drawn, and every game of make believe. It always seemed like he was talking to me and me alone.
Mr Dressup was a big part of my growing up, he helped me learn and helped me have fun. I loved Casey and Finnigan and I hope he gets well soon. I remember when he took out his Canadian citizenship, they made a big deal of it and rightfully so, his impact on Canadian children can be compared to Mr Rogers on American kids. Get well Ernie we are all pulling for you…
The poor man suffered through so much tragedy in his life and yet kept generations of children smiling and laughing and calling any trunk handy the “Tickle Trunk”.
Double damn. Another icon gone. The first to fall was Tim Horton.
My Dad bore an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Dressup, and always had little children coming up to him to talk to him. Gave me first-hand look at what Mr. Combs meant to kids.
I did a few week internship at CBC the week he retired. I have never heard so many people have so much praise for a man. No one had a bad word about him. Every person was talking about going to Ernie’s retirement party and everyone had a story to tell. I will miss him very much as I grew up on a steady diet of Mr. Dressup and Friendly Giant. He was such a gentle mild man, it is so unfair.
What a crappy month.
My daughters are watching Mr. Dressup at this moment. Dani is only a year and a half old and there aren’t too many things that can hold her attention for long but Mr. Dressup can. Alex is simply transfixed.
