Jack Barry(1918-1984)

At the time of his sudden death in the spring of 1984, he was planning to retire from The Joker's Wild, and wanted Jim Peck (who occasionally served as the show's substitute host) as his successor. His plan was to announce his retirement at the start of the 1984-1985 season, at which point he would have given the hosting duties to Peck. However, after he died, his business partner Dan Enright hired Bill Cullen instead.