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Marselis' Amazing Career

October 15, 2009

Marselis Parsons, the storyteller who's been invited into our homes at supper time for 43 years, is saying so long.

It's a challenge to put the life and career of Marselis in just three minutes.

We decided to sit down and show Marselis his stories from his early days here at Channel 3.

If there was fire... Marselis was there first.

"There is just something you hear when you hear a dispatcher and you hear the tension in their voice," he explained.

Marselis liked the rush of fighting a fire; he used to be a member of the Burlington Fire Department as volunteer.

"I really like the fire service," he said. "They are great people and there is a great deal of satisfaction in helping put out a fire."

There was also satisfaction in journalism. Marselis began telling stories during the turbulent times of the late 60s.

And there were stories about poverty...

"She was one of several people we talked about surviving tough times," he said watching an old story. "You know food stamps. She had been a manager somewhere and had been laid off-- it was during a recession."

A recession in the 70s much like today.

"Those were tough days," he said.

If it was policy or politics Marselis was there...

"You do good work and you do good stories," he said.

One of those good stories was during the tail end of the hostage crisis in 1981 where Americans were held hostage by the Iranians. The hostages included a man from Vermont.

"It's a two minute story without a single interview in it. It is all me. Isn't that great. Reagan is looking at Carter and carrying on tradition as these people are carrying on the tradition of ringing the bell, 52 times for each of the hostages. We just happened to luck into this story. Right place at right time. I love this story," Marselis said.

And when the world saw the freed hostages for the first time Parsons was there...

"We were all captivated by the hostage story," he said.

Getting the story first was a must. Marselis was the first reporter on the scene in Shelburne when Governor Richard Snelling died suddenly in 1991.

"That police man and I," Marselis said. "I never did know his name but we got to know each pretty well. And then they started to come."

There were too many tragedies to tell but it's all part of news.

One of those times came close to home 25 years ago-- the death of Marselis' predecessor, Richard Gallagher. Marselis suddenly was managing the newsroom-- and was now the anchor; the face of Channel 3. It's a public position he has held for more than two decades.

"One thing I am not going to miss an awful lot is being bolted to that chair," he said. "There is no news in a newsroom... the news is out there. The news is out on the road."

Marselis will hit the road soon still curious about what is around the corner.

"I would very much to travel down the back roads across the country and see more of this. As you know I don't like to fly. I have gone by train but I would like to go by car," he said.

It's a new journey; time for himself and his family and he's so grateful for the experiences along the way.

"We have been a guest. I have been a guest in their homes for 25 years... It has been an honor," he said.

Anson Tebbetts - WCAX News