SYRACUSE -- Jack Abert, founding member of local band The Monterays, who went onto become what colleagues called a "trailblazing pioneer" in radio sales, died last weekend in Florida at the age of 63.
Born John Edward Abert, Jr. in East Syracuse, Jack is credited by an anonymous poster on the syracuse.com TV/Radio forum as "one of the best, if not THE best radio sales rep that Syracuse ever experienced."
Former area resident Mark Turcotte writes from Atlanta, telling CNYRadio.com, Abert "literally created NTR and vendor programs before anyone else anywhere. There was so much more, and there was no equal."
For more than 10 years, Abert ran his own award-winning agency, AJA Marketing. He then moved to Florida, where, according to his obituary, he spent four years as media and events director for the city of Oldsmar, a suburb of Tampa.
Local newspaper columnist Mark Bialczak posted his memories of Jack on his "Listen Up" blog yesterday.
Services were held this morning in East Syracuse. The family asks friends who wish to pay tribute to do so through gifts in Jack's name to the American Cancer Society.
Jack was a good man