Terri Wagner

By Carole Petranovich, Rex's step daughter from January 1964 until the mid 1970's. I was Rex’s step daughter from January of 1964 until the mid-1970’s, when he was divorced from my mother, Betty. Previously from Kenosha Wisconsin, Rex met my mother Betty Fluke (maiden name Betty Jane Mattoon), in Galesburg IL in 1963 while working at a small radio station, where Rex was a disc jockey and my mother a copy writer. Rex was previously married to a woman named Char (presumably Charlotte) and had two children, a boy and a girl, whose names I can’t recall. My mother and Rex were married in Galesburg in January of 64’ and moved to Albuquerque NM in the spring of 64’ when Rex was offered a DJ job at the 50,000 Watt 770 KOB Radio Station on the graveyard shift. During this time, he authored a cookbook, “Rex’s Rancid Recipes”, featuring his own creations as well as those of his listeners, the most famous of his being, “Green Chili Cheese Pancakes” (which were actually quite good). By the late 60’s, Rex was working at KOAT-TV as a newscaster (we had police radios in our home on Aspen street) a weatherman, early morning TV host and host on the afternoon “Dialing for Dollars” show. He was called the Wacky Weatherman, because he was famous for dressing up in costumes for holidays and using odd “Wacky weather wands”, many of which I made for him. Many were also sent to him by his fans. By 1976 or 1977 Betty and Rex had separated and divorced. Shortly thereafter Rex turned himself in to the authorities for income tax evasion and was sentenced to the federal penitentiary in Santa Fe NM for a number of years. During this time, he suffered greatly and was never himself again. Ironically the year he was released, amnesty was declared for all income tax evaders. Betty passed away unexpectedly during the summer of 1979. Rex attended her funeral, but I did not stay in contact with him. I learned while listening to 770 KOB Radio one morning that Rex had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head while residing in Grants NM in January of 1987 and died in a local hospital. Rex was a kind man and a good step father. He had a great sense of humor. He taught me how to swim, ride a bike, play softball and drive on the interstate. He liked to golf and read and was especially fond of spy movies and books, such as James Bond. He owned a hard-back book collection of Ian Fleming’s work. Rex like sports cars, fishing, hiking in the mountains, bourbon and driving. He also liked animals, especially dogs. In Kenosha he owned Weimaraners and while he was in our life he owned two poodles and a shaggy mutt, all rescue dogs. Rex helped found “Crime Fighters” in Albuquerque. Is his earlier life, Rex was a life guard, a stunt diver, cleaned out large milk vats and sold “Snap-on-Tools”, prior to us meeting him. He had a mother, nicknamed “Honey”, who came to live with us in Albuquerque before succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease sometime in the early 70’s.