Robert S. Telford obit

Town Theatre’s Robert Telford remembered

 

He was not on the list.

Robert Sheldon Telford ( 1923– 2016) passed away at the age of 93 on October 24, 2016. Telford was buried at the National Cemetary near March Air Force Base in Riverside, California, with military honors which included a flag draped casket, an honor guard, and a 21 gun salute. He served in both World War II and the Korean War.

Columbians will remember Telford for his contribution to local community theatre as director of Town Theatre from September 1955 through May 1958.

Productions at Town Theatre under Telford’s direction include Amphitryon 38 (May 1955); The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (Oct. 1956); Where’s Charley? (Oct. 1956); Time of Your Life (Feb. 1957); The Rainmaker (May 1957); Teahouse of the August Moon (June 1957); Call Me Madam (Oct 1957); Witness for the Prosecution (Dec. 1957); Twelfth Night (Mar. 1958); and It’s Never Too Late (May 1958).

Local performers who shared the stage under Telford’s direction during his years in Columbia were Christian Thee, Billie Mustin, Dave and Marty Sennema, Cynthia Gilliam, Ruth Gottlieb Moore, Milton Safran, Sanders Guignard, and Paul Dreher, among many others.

After leaving Columbia, Telford served as the artistic director of the Virginia Museum Theatre in Richmond, Virginia, from 1959 to 1966.

Telford earned his MFA from Yale School of Drama and was the author of Handbook for Theatrical Production Managers (c 1983).

This memorial was contributed by his daughter, Jennifer.

Monday Oct 24, 2016

This world lost a great being. A loving farewell to our father, Robert Sheldon Telford.

He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father. He was a soldier, a director, an activist, an actor, a critic. He was an intellectual, a philosopher, an author, and a Unitarian Universalist. He will be missed, but mostly he will be respected and honored with memories and laughter. As the cast he created, on the stage that he set, his loving legacy, his grandchildren, will be his understudies. After all, the show must go on.

“Exit stage right …fade to black…pull the curtain, Jodi …and cue the house lights.”

As an actor, known for Two Moon Junction (1988), Where the Red Fern Grows (1974) and Where the Red Fern Grows (2003). He died on October 24, 2016 in Riverside, California, USA.

Actor

Where the Red Fern Grows (2003)

Where the Red Fern Grows

6.4

Station Master

2003

 

Luke Perry, Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, Ian Ziering, and Gabrielle Carteris in Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)

Beverly Hills, 90210

6.5

TV Series

Live Aboard

1993

1 episode

 

Danny Aiello in Ruby (1992)

Ruby

5.5

Senator

1992

 

Ben Cross in Dark Shadows (1991)

Dark Shadows

7.5

TV Series

Innkeeper

1991

1 episode

 

Lee Horsley in Paradise (1988)

Paradise

7.9

TV Series

Dietrick

1991

1 episode

 

The Judge (1986)

The Judge

7.5

TV Series

1988

1 episode

 

Sherilyn Fenn and Richard Tyson in Two Moon Junction (1988)

Two Moon Junction

5.0

Gardener (as Robert Telford)

1988

 

Days of Our Lives (1965)

Days of Our Lives

5.3

TV Series

Farmer

1986–1987

4 episodes

 

Brothers (1984)

Brothers

7.9

TV Series

Sean

1986

1 episode

 

Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson in Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983)

Scarecrow and Mrs. King

7.1

TV Series

IrvTrain Conductor (as Robert Telford)

1983–1985

2 episodes

 

John Rubinstein and Jack Warden in Crazy Like a Fox (1984)

Crazy Like a Fox

7.0

TV Series

Manager

1985

1 episode

 

James Earl Jones, Martin Sheen, Jason Robards, Rip Torn, and Calvin Levels in The Atlanta Child Murders (1985)

The Atlanta Child Murders

6.7

TV Mini Series

Polygraph Operator (as Robert Telford)

1985

2 episodes

 

Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Gavin MacLeod, and Lauren Tewes in The Love Boat (1977)

The Love Boat

6.3

TV Series

Captain JohanssenCaptain Johannsen

1984

2 episodes

 

Michael Landon in Highway to Heaven (1984)

Highway to Heaven

6.9

TV Series

Preacher

1984

2 episodes

 

Kirstie Alley, Rod Taylor, and Greg Evigan in Masquerade (1983)

Masquerade

6.7

TV Series

German Aristocrat (as Robert Telford)

1984

1 episode

 

Father Murphy (1981)

Father Murphy

6.5

TV Series

Storekeeper

1982

1 episode

 

Richard Dreyfuss in Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

7.3

Old Man (as Robert Telford)

1981

 

Big Bend Country

TV Movie

Reverend Fosser (as Robert Telford)

1981

 

The Killing of Randy Webster (1981)

The Killing of Randy Webster

6.0

TV Movie

Olson

1981

 

Bill Cosby and Elliott Gould in The Devil and Max Devlin (1981)

The Devil and Max Devlin

5.0

Camper Owner

1981

 

Richard Thomas, Will Geer, Judy Norton, Ellen Corby, Kami Cotler, David W. Harper, Michael Learned, Mary Beth McDonough, Eric Scott, Ralph Waite, and Jon Walmsley in The Waltons (1972)

The Waltons

7.6

TV Series

Man at Grave (as Robert Telford)

1980

1 episode

 

Where the Red Fern Grows (1974)

Where the Red Fern Grows

6.9

Station Master (as Robert Telford)

1974