RIP J.P. Patches, 1928-2012

[ABlairican Pie]

For anyone growing up in the Seattle area in the '60's and through the '70's,
you're already familiar with this sad story:

J.P. Patches, legendary Seattle entertainer, dies at age 84

Posted by Jonathan Martin

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The familiar, friendly face of J.P. Patches waves into his ICU2-TV at the History House of Greater Seattle during a September 2011 visit to the rebuilt J.P. Patches set there. (Photo by MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES)
Chris Wedes, better known as TV clown J. P. Patches, died Sunday morning after a long battle with cancer. He was 84.

On television from 1958 to 1981, and in countless personal appearances since, Mr. Wedes delighted generations of Puget Sound area children and adults with his zany antics and a style that was irreverent yet gentle.

Mr. Wedes’ death was confirmed by Robert L. Newman, who played Mr. Wedes’ sidekick, “Gertrude.”

“Everyone remembers him,” Newman said. “He left such a mark. He will never be forgotten.”

In his tattered hat, red nose and colorful patchwork coat, the character Mr. Wedes created, Julius Pierpont Patches, could cause all sorts of mayhem, tumbling off his tricycle, blasting himself into space and playing pranks on his TV guests.

He opened his last major public appearance, in September 2011, by leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. His unrehearsed Emmy-winning show, which ran weekday mornings and afternoons on KIRO-TV, had an audience of more than 100,000 people at is peak.

[robyrob]

i grew up watching him, he was a pretty special kind of guy

[ABlairican Pie]

Did it ever feel like, as kids, we practically lived at that old house by the city dump back then? J.P. was just the coolest. He was funny and so off-the-wall. He would wave his Magic Cartoon hat, announce "Here we go!" and we'd be transported into seeing Looney Tunes, Quick-Draw McGraw, and everything else. He made every schoolday morning special.

[Schmoopie]

Oh, thanks so much for posting this! I was going to but I wasn't sure how many Pacific Northwesterners are on this site! Mind if I ask where you guys are located, robyrob and ABlairican Pie?

It's very sad that he's gone b/c he was just in the news about something else not too long ago. I had been hoping to meet him several years ago as he was supposed to make an appearance at the Aquarium where I work. They had a volunteer appreciation party but unfortunately for some reason he didn't make it.

I moved to Seattle way after his show was over but he was a definite icon and will be very missed.

[Marvo301]

Growing up in southwest British Columbia we got all the Seattle TV stations on our cable package. I remember watching J.P. and Gertrude as a kid. J.P. Patches was an institution in this part of the world and he will be missed. Chris Wedes (aka J.P. Patches)

[ABlairican Pie]

Originally Posted by Schmoopie

Oh, thanks so much for posting this! I was going to but I wasn't sure how many Pacific Northwesterners are on this site! Mind if I ask where you guys are located, robyrob and ABlairican Pie?

It's very sad that he's gone b/c he was just in the news about something else not too long ago. I had been hoping to meet him several years ago as he was supposed to make an appearance at the Aquarium where I work. They had a volunteer appreciation party but unfortunately for some reason he didn't make it.

I moved to Seattle way after his show was over but he was a definite icon and will be very missed.

I was born in Long Beach, California, but my family was from here and I have lived here all my life. I have pretty much lived here in South King County, south of Seattle.

It's interesting that for so long, when we were growing up, J.P. was such a fixture in our lives, it's hard to even believe the show was cancelled over thirty years ago. They've GOT to put old episodes on DVD!!