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Bob Dermer

Bob Dermer is a Canadian actor and puppeteer whose work became a familiar part of children’s television in the 1980s. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he brought personality to characters through puppetry and voice performance, moving comfortably between live-action sets and animated worlds. Dermer appeared on Today’s Special as Sam Crenshaw, a puppet security guard with a steady presence in the show’s department-store setting. At the same time, his voice work gave him another enduring connection to young audiences. He starred as Ralph Raccoon in The Raccoons series and specials, while also voicing various other characters. As Grumpy Bear, he was heard in the Care Bears films and television series of the era. These roles made good use of a performer who could establish a character through voice, timing and attitude rather than on-screen visibility alone. His career was seriously interrupted in 1984 when he was nearly killed in a car accident. Dermer suffered a broken clavicle and thoracic ribs and lost his left eye. He was unable to perform for five months, wore an eye patch and later received an eyeball transplant. The severity of the accident adds important context to the work he continued to do afterward. Dermer later made a cameo appearance in the 1994 Walt Disney Pictures film The Santa Clause. His final screen role came in the 1996 made-for-television movie Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story, and he retired from the television business in 2001. His professional work has also included television presenting, marionette performance and video game design, reflecting a career shaped by several different forms of entertainment.