Timothy Joseph “T.J.” Tremble, a longtime Bangor-area journalist and broadcaster, died of natural causes on Tuesday at age 65, according to an obituary in the Bangor Daily News.
Tremble was born in Bangor in November 1956 and attended John Bapst High School. He got his start in journalism as a reporter at the Camden Herald. Throughout the 1980s he wrote for the Bangor Daily News, in its Rockland and Belfast bureaus, and later in Bangor, where he was a city reporter between 1985 and 1989.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins lauded Tremble’s contributions to Maine journalism on Thursday evening.
“In newspapers, radio and television, TJ was an outstanding journalist who kept our community informed and made countless contributions to our state,” Collins said. “His reporting was thorough, balanced and accurate and his questions were always insightful. I enjoyed speaking with TJ over the years, and he will be deeply missed. My heart goes out to his wife, Janine and all the members of TJ’s family. “
In 1989, he moved over to broadcast journalism, as news director at WQCB-FM in Brewer, and later worked as a news reporter for the Zone Radio Corp. in Bangor. He also served as communications director for Maine Democrat Patrick McGowan’s run for U.S. House of Representatives in 1992.
In 2016, he joined the staff of WVII ABC 7 and WFVX FOX 22 as a reporter and assistant news director, a position he held until he retired earlier this year. Tremble received awards from the Maine Press Association, the Maine Association of Broadcasters and the Maine Associated Press Broadcasters Association. According to his obituary, he mentored young journalists throughout his career.
Tremble enjoyed fishing, hiking, reading and his family camp at Beech Hill Pond in Hancock County, was a fan of University of Maine men’s hockey, and was a longtime congregant at Calvary Chapel in Orrington.
Tremble is survived by his wife, Janine; his children Seth, Taylor and Kaileigh and their spouses and children; his mother, Joan; and his brothers David, Tom and Dan, the latter of whom is on the Bangor City Council.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the title of Timothy Joseph Tremble’s position at WVII and the name of his daughter Kaileigh.