How sad.. "No Whammies"...game show host & wife died in crash

[SoCalDem]

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-luck0314,0,4609395.story?coll=ny-entertainment-headlines

On edit.. I did not realize this was old news... I just now heard it on the news.. sorry if y'all already knew this :eyes:
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Former game show host killed in plane crash

By The Associated Press

March 14, 2006, 9:26 AM EST


A former TV game show host and his wife were killed Monday morning when their small plane crashed into Santa Monica Bay shortly after takeoff on a volunteer flight for a medical charity, authorities said.
snip...

The bodies of Peter Tomarken, 63, host of the hit 1980s game show "Press Your Luck," and his wife, Kathleen Abigail Tomarken, 41, were identified by the Los Angeles County coroner's office. The plane was on its way to San Diego to ferry a medical patient to the UCLA Medical Center, said Doug Griffith, a spokesman for Angel Flight West, a nonprofit which provides free air transportation for needy patients. Tomarken, the pilot, was a volunteer for the group. The FAA said the plane was registered to him.

snip

The plane apparently had engine trouble and was headed back to Santa Monica Airport, located about two miles inland, but went down in about 19 feet of water about a half-mile southwest of the Santa Monica pier, authorities said. Luis Garr said he didn't hear the engine but heard the splash as the plane "kind of landed into the water." "It's a big splash, a huge splash. ... Then it started going down," Garr said. "The wings were still floating so I was, 'Get out! Get out!' because the door was still available to get out and nobody came out. So the plane kept going down, down, down."

snip

"Press Your Luck" was known for contestants shouting the slogan "Big bucks! No whammies!"

snip

"He was always a fun guy to be around, and he just loved the genre of game shows," Wostbrock said.

[BikeWriter]

1. I hadn't heard it. That's sad!

[Nailzberg]

2. I live in LA so I heard when it happened. Really sad.

That Peter Tomarken was on a mission of mercy for Angel Flight makes this loss truly tragic. So many TV personalities just pleasure cruise around in their airplanes around here. Mr. Tomarken was donating his flight time and expenses to the betterment of others. It's really sad.

[SoCalDem]

3. So true.. I always liked him.. He was never snarky to guests

and seemed to really enjoy his job.. It's got to be horrific for their kids (I am assuming they had kids).. They almost made it back..:(

edit... he had 3 grown up children from his first marriage

Son, Jason (b. 1969)

Twin daughters, Alexis and Candace (b. 1975)

[Mojambo]

4. Yeah, the Gameshow channel ran a Press Your Luck marathon

As a tribute.

That was absolutely my favorite gameshow as a kid. That, and "Sale of the Century."

[bigwillq]

5. Oh No!

I loved him. And I loved Press Your Luck. It was my fave game show when I was a kid.

RIP Peter and Kathleen. :(