Rudy Mancke Obituary, Death – Naturalist and renowned South Carolina Public Radio and SCETV personality Rudy Mancke passed away on Tuesday night, his wife said. He was 78. On Wednesday, Mancke’s wife Ellen said on SC Public Radio that her husband had been hospitalised after battling the signs of liver disease for the past few months. According to Ellen Mancke, her husband passed away with his entire family by his side.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalised. Sammy Fretwell, the longstanding environment correspondent for The State newspaper, remarked, “The thing about Rudy Mancke that was so impressive was that he knew so much about so many different elements of South Carolina’s environment.” He was an expert in everything from the tiniest insects to the largest mammals. His passing will be a great loss for the state because he was an invaluable asset.
Mancke, a naturalist in residence at USC, was a household name in the Palmetto State for decades as a fixture on SC Public Radio and SCETV. On SC Public Radio’s NatureNotes and SCETV’s NatureScene, which he co-created with Beryl Dakers and then Jim Welch and ran for 25 years, he shared his enthusiasm for and knowledge of wildlife with listeners every day. His field trips, broadcast nationwide, have earned him a legion of dedicated viewers,” his online bio says.
“Rudy’s boundless enthusiasm, deep knowledge, and dedication to environmental education have left an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire future generations,” stated SCETV President and CEO Adrienne Fairwell. “His impact on our organisation and the people of South Carolina is immeasurable.” Dozens of people from South Carolina have posted memorials to Mancke on X (previously Twitter).
