From an AP obit headlined “Jeanne Robertson, North Carolina humorist, dies at 77”:
Jeanne Robertson, who parlayed her appearance in the Miss America pageant into a career as a speaker and humorist, died unexpectedly Saturday….
Robertson became Miss North Carolina at age 19, and won Miss Congeniality at the 1963 Miss America pageant.
Her pageant experience, and her 6-foot-2-inch frame, often provided fodder for her comedy routines, delivered in her Southern accent.
She wrote four books, the most recent being “Don’t Bungee Jump Naked and other important stuff.” Her YouTube channel has received more than 114 million views. In one popular routine, “ Don’t Send a Man to the Grocery Store,” she talked about her habit of making 7-Up pound cakes and the difficulty her husband, whom she always called “Left Brain,” had in interpreting her grocery list….
She was a one-time president of the National Speakers Association and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1981.
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Also see the August 27 New York Times obit by Annabelle Williams headlined “Jeanne Robertson, 77, Down-Home Humorist With a Pageant Past, Dies.” The opening grafs:
Jeanne Robertson, who turned her title of Miss Congeniality at the 1963 Miss America pageant into a career as a public speaker and who later found success as a squeaky clean humorist with a sizable YouTube following, died on Aug. 21 at her home in Burlington, N.C.
Her comedic videos on YouTube, where she had more than 340,000 followers, and stints on SiriusXM’s comedy channels made Ms. Robertson a beloved figure in family-friendly comedy. She also appeared in live shows around the country, playing civic auditoriums, churches and theaters, including the Grand Ole Opry.
Ms. Robertson…called herself a humorist, not a comic or a comedian, because, she said, she focused on telling stories rather than just doing bits for laughs.
She maintained her pageant polish in speaking appearances; she did not swear or make crude jokes, favoring instead details of everyday life and anecdotes about her family and friends. Much of her material centered on her husband, Jerry Robertson, whom she affectionately called Left Brain, homage to his logical and process-driven way of thinking….
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