Robert J. McNea (1929 – November 5, 2005) was a Canadian entertainer. McNea grew up in St. Thomas, Ontario, thee sone of a theater operator. At age 14, he ran away to join the circus. While working in the circus, he developed the character of Moppets the Clown. In the early days of television, from 1950 to 1959, he portrayed Moppets on WWJ-TV in Detroit. From 1959 to 1966, he played Bozo the Clown on Detroit television. After a dispute between WWJ and Bozo's creator, Larry Harmon, the Detroit station ceased production of the Bozo show in 1966. McNea then created a new character, Oopsy the Clown, for WWJ. He portrayed Oopsy on WWJ and in syndication from 1967 to 1977.[1][2][3] McNea's wife, Francis Kay, daughter Kathy Lynn, and son Michael also played human characters as part of the Oopsy show.[4] After the Oopsy show was cancelled in Detroit in 1977, McNea reprised the role in Kitchener, Ontario, for CKCO-DT and the CTV Television Network. McNea also operated Fantasy World Studios, a puppet theater, in a former Packard Motor showroom in Windsor, Ontario.[5] He died in 2005 in Kitchener, Ontario.[6][7]
Bob McNea | |
|---|---|
 McNea c. 1971 | |
| Born | 1929 St. Thomas, Ontario |
| Died | November 5, 2005 (age 76) Kitchener, Ontario |
| Known for | Moppets the Clown, Bozo the Clown, Oopsy the Clown |