“Sheriff John” Rovick (1919 – 2012)
“Sheriff John” Rovick (1919-2012)
I wasn’t aware that my late father and “Sheriff John” Rovick were friends until years after Dad’s hunting accident, which claimed his right eye and probably contributed to his early death at the age of 53. Sheriff John hosted a noontime show for children during the ‘golden age’ of television — ask any Baby Boomer from Los Angeles! I found out after-the-fact that Sheriff John was with my dad on a duck-hunting trip when a load of buckshot shot by a careless hunter from a nearby hunting party peppered my dad in the face and chest with a careless and errant blast.
Dad never really recovered. One day, in a youthful, innocent and somewhat obtuse way, I mused with my father,
“Gee, Daddy, Just think: if you had moved one step to the left, you may not have lost your eye!”
Without a beat of hesitation, he looked down at me with a mixture of impatience and love and said,
“And if I had moved one step to the right, I might have lost both of them!”
Independently, my brother and I loved Sheriff John (it seemed) almost as much as our Dad — or maybe even more, if you believe the story that my mother recently told me:
Mother’s Recapitulation
I continue to be surprised and thrilled that my mother lets me record her memories. At 86, she tells me she is no longer concerned about how she looks in front of a camera. I think that I will try to break out the camera with her more often.
If I tried, I could easily think myself into sadness when I consider that there are only so many of her stories that I may yet hear, but instead, I will just follow Sheriff John’s musical credo, which is “laugh, and be happy.”
RIP John Rovick
I found this tribute to Sheriff John. You might enjoy it.
Bill Leyden's Blog 
Actually we also liked captain kangaroo as well as sheriff john and engineer bill.
True, indeed.
My mother was a nurse and recent immigrant to the states when a friend invited her to your dad’s show “it could be you” in the late 50’s. My parent were scraping by…two kids in 2 years and new to the country. The gifts they received (baby furniture, baby food, a diaper supply) really made a difference…up to her last days she still talked about it. Someday I’ll find that video of her and your dad. Also, was it true he was an aviator in WWII? Did he fly with the Marines?
thanks, Roberto. Those were the days! Yes, I was an aviator. But not the Marine Bill Leyden, that was another guy.