Chief among Raymond Bottom’s passions were flying, Hampden-Sydney College and radio. He was associated with broadcasting for many years, dating from the heady years of Top-40, rock-n-roll radio in Hampton Roads, when the Daily Press owned WGH-AM and WGH-FM. The AM station was the number one station the market by a wide margin, while the FM station offered tamer fare, eventually presenting an all-classical music format. Within that format, his favorite program was the Sunday afternoon Boston Pops concert. That says a lot. The concert was a mix of light classical and popular music - relaxing, enjoyable, entertaining and, at this remove, old-fashioned. But then, Mr. Bottom (as I always addressed him) was much like that - laid-back and friendly, an old-fashioned southern gentleman.

To insure the continuation of classical music in Hampton Roads, he contributed the entire library of classical LP’s to WHRO when WGH-FM was sold. From time to time over the years, he would call those of us who used to work for him - Raymond Jones and I - to inquire about a piece of music that he had heard or perhaps just to talk about radio in what had become the old days. I will miss those conversations and we all will miss his continuing interest and support of our radio station and the arts in Hampton Roads.

Dwight Davis, Program Director, WHRO-FM

Read Raymond's obituary in the Daily Press.

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