RIP: Anne Whittemore AKA 'Liz Wilde'

Anne Whittemore

1965-10-27 -> 2024-10-09

Today I discovered - by reading about it on Wikipedia(!) - that my cousin, Anne Whittemore, had died last year.

This is a trippy double exposure of me and my one-year-younger cousin on the 700 West farm in spring of 1970.

Family

Over the course of nearly 2 decades, my grandmother birthed six boys and (finally!) one girl.

My father was the eldest, and my cousin Anne’s father, Paul, was the second eldest. My uncle Paul (upper left) was always “edgy”, sarcastic, whip smart, handsome.

When Anne was a teen, both of her younger brothers were killed while riding a moped - hit by a drunk driver. Then, Anne’s mother died of cancer.

Paul lived decades alone, drinking away his early retirement. I only saw him at family gatherings and finally at the funerals of his parents.

In the 2010’s, Paul would finally die - standoff-ish, impoverished, unrecognizable with dementia.

While Anne and I traded letters after college, and later a few emails, we (in the family tradition) were not “close”. We had the Whittemore understanding: you’re doing your thing - that’s cool! When we did meet up once on the East Coast in the mid-90s, we discovered that we both had purchased to the same oddball model of car - 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo.

Career

Anne was a Whittemore in the truest sense: we tend to set our own sails and follow our own paths, absurd and interesting, intense and focussed. The opinions of would-be detractors serve as fuel to continue on against criticism.

The Wikipedia page covers her radio career in depth, but in summary: Anne had a good 20 year run as a “shock jock” radio presence, known as “Liz Wilde”

She left an impression as the first woman with a voice in the shock jock universe. She was especially good apparently at interviewing.

Typical of online remembrances:

On Wednesday, October 9, the radio industry lost one of its most captivating voices, Liz Wilde, who passed away of natural causes. Her groundbreaking contributions, unmatched wit, and bold presence left an indelible mark on rock radio and the countless fans who followed her career. Often referred to as “the female Howard Stern,” Liz Wilde was unapologetically original and fiercely influential long before “influencer” became a buzzword. She moved in legendary circles, on a first-name basis with the likes of Gene Simmons, Lenny Kravitz, Paris Hilton, and many more, yet never lost her down-to-earth charm.

Post-Liz

Anne would spend her professional career skirting her Midwestern birthplace, and her last decades were spent far down in southern Florida where she ran a gallery.

Her social media was littered with sunsets and beach shots.

Anne eventually married, but never had children. Her husband was also in radio, and they opened an art gallery. I never met him.

In reading Anne’s obituary, I discovered that her husband Lee Firestone had met his own end just a year before Anne - in an industrial accident.

Had I known what she was going through, had she shared with anyone, we would have reached out. We Whittemores are not without empathy. We’re just horrible at asking for it.

This little remembrance is an attempt to cement something about her life before domains expire and traces of what she was cease to exist.

I’m sorry we were not able to be closer, cousin. I hope to be more present for those who remain.