CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of one of America’s most talented and respected outdoor journalists, Wade Bourne.
Bourne died Thursday, Dec. 15, at his home in Clarksville, Tenn., his widow, Becky, confirmed. She said he had just returned from cutting a family Christmas tree, a holiday ritual he loved, when he collapsed from an apparent heart attack.
“Wade has been a senior writer for Bassmaster, B.A.S.S. Times and other B.A.S.S. publications for nearly 40 years,” said Dave Precht, editor-in-chief of those publications. “He had a gift for storytelling that made his how-to articles come alive. He was a knowledgeable and skilled angler and hunter, and he was an award-winning writer and photographer.
“Wade’s regular articles will be missed by all of us at B.A.S.S., but even more, we mourn the loss of a great friend and fellow outdoorsman.”
Bourne was founder and host of Wired2Fish/Hunt Radio, a syndicated fishing and hunting show airing on 280 stations, and he formerly hosted In-Fisherman Radio programs. He authored six books and more than 3,000 magazine articles. He has been inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame and the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, and earlier this year he received the prestigious Homer Circle Fishing Communicator Award from the Professional Outdoor Media Association and the American Sportfishing Association.
Funeral services for Bourne will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Clarksville, Tenn., with Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Funeral Home (www.nealtarpleyparchman.com) handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Wade’s name to the First Baptist Church of Clarksville Building Fund, 435 Madison Street, Clarksville, TN 37040; or to Ducks Unlimited, 1 Waterfowl Way, Memphis, TN 38120.
