Oregon trade show producer is remembered

Bob O’Loughlin Sr., founder of the Portland, Ore.-based O’Loughlin Trade Shows, died Aug. 17 of natural causes at his Portland home after an annual hunting trip with his family. He was 80.

For more than seven decades, O’Loughlin and his shows introduced millions of show-goers to the pleasures and joys of outdoor adventure, including boating, fishing, hunting, camping and RVing, according to an obituary in The Oregonian.

Flooding Portland’s Memorial Coliseum to stage a floating boat show, taking a fully grown killer whale “on the road,” spotlighting the skills of “Twiggy, The Waterskiing Squirrel” and attracting the likes of Ted Williams, Johnny Unitas, The Supremes and Tony Bennett for personal appearances, O’Loughlin blended imagination and ingenuity to create traffic-building show attractions that captivated audiences and supported exhibitor participation.