Gordon 'Buzz' Hannan, stage manager who spent 49 years with CBS 2, dies at 77

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Gordon "Buzz" Hannan, a beloved member of the CBS 2 family, has passed away.

Hannan's family reported he passed away Thursday morning. He was 77.

Hannan spent 49 years with CBS 2 – starting in film processing in 1963, and then working as a stage manager alongside generations of CBS 2 News staffers.

As a floor director, Hannan was part of everything that went on at CBS 2 – and a direct witness to decades of changes in the technology and presentation of the news.

Former CBS 2 producer Roy Santoro wrote about the steady hand that Hannan provided while directing from the floor of CBS 2's working newsroom set at our old McClurg Court studios in Streeterville – with local legends Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson on the anchor desk.

"When we had that working newsroom there it would get loud and only Buzz could bring it under control. I remember more than once Buzz yelling: 'Hey, everyone shut the hell up. We are coming out of break. And even Bill and Walter would obey," Santoro wrote. "He always knew where everyone should be and when they should be there. And he was a funny guy with a good soul."

Kurtis himself also offered a memory of Hannan by email – remembering Hannan's talents in both film processing and directing on the studio floor:

"When I walked into the CBS newsroom in September of 1966, Fahey Flynn was the primary anchor and John Drury was being groomed to replace him.  The two big studios would adapt to the progress of time over the years – and so would a tall young man with a spirited personality named Gordon 'Buzz' Hannan.  Channel Two had not yet left the black and white world of 16 mm film. But it was getting ready for a transition to color.  Buzz would make that change work, learning the complicated process of chemicals and extra time needed for the new technology.  We'd pass in the corridor and I had this image that while the newsroom's focus was outside the building trying to capture footage of a city burning, the Democratic Convention protests and the trials that followed, Buzz was working his unseen magic in the engine room of a great aircraft carrier – confidently giving a thumbs up to the strained faces of writers and reporters asking if the film was OK.

"In other words, Buzz would assure us that the ship was afloat—the engine room was hitting on all cylinders.

"When I left for a stint with CBS News in Los Angeles in 1970, Buzz was beginning to make his own transition.  When I returned three years later, he was fully fledged, working within the directorial team, easing into occasionally calling out the shots and spending most of his time on the studio floor.   From this vantage point he participated in the growth of a new chapter in the vocation we all had chosen—electronic news gathering. There would be many changes in the fifty years Buzz reigned over the players in front of the camera.  I can't remember a single time his countdown was off the mark before the red light went on.  His presence became a fixture as much as any studio camera could be.  Buzz leaves a legacy of reliability, commitment, and dedication to the craft that we all share. He was with us every step of the way, and leaves it better than when we were asking if the 'film was out of the soup.'"

Former CBS 2 anchor and reporter Susan Anderson also honored Hannan's talent and passion.

"And when Buzz was 'on the floor' – and you were on-air, on set – you knew you were in good hands and he'd take care of you," Anderson wrote. "I remember his infectious smile, his joyous, loping gait, and in a room where disgruntlement was often afoot, the absolute relish and delight he brought to his job.  He truly loved it (and us). What a great guy to have on our team."

For 15 years, Hannan was also a fixture behind the scenes of "Siskel and Ebert," and later "Ebert and Roeper" – which taped from CBS 2's old studios. He also frequently worked with Jim Nantz on CBS' NFL coverage.

Hannan retired from CBS 2 in August 2012, and had most recently lived in Arizona.

In addition to his long list of career accomplishments, Hannan will be remembered by many as a friend, a mentor, and a man with a great sense of humor.