ST. PETERSBURG - Farris E. Rahall, a member of a prominent family with interests in broadcasting, real estate, banking and politics, died Wednesday at St. Anthony's Hospital. He was 90. Mr. Rahall, former chairman of the executive committee of Rahall Communications Corp., had been ill a long time and died of pneumonia, family members said.
He was born in Beckley, W.Va., one of four sons of a Lebanese [Syrian] immigrant. Three of the sons, including Farris Rahall, found a common occupation in post-World War II broadcasting and became principals in Rahall Communications, which operated radio stations in West Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire and Florida. A winter visitor to St. Petersburg from Beckley with his family since 1929, he and his brothers Sam and Joe bought radio Station WTSP-AM 1380 from Nelson Poynter, publisher of the St. Petersburg Times, in 1956.
Mr. Rahall's philanthropic efforts benefitted such local causes as Eckerd College. In 1997, he and his wife gave the school $350,000 to create a communications program. He also financially supported Shorecrest Preparatory School, which his son and daughter-in-law, Cary, attended, proving seed money for the Rahall Family Sports Complex.
Mr. Rahall was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of St. Petersburg and a life member of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. He was a Mason and Rotarian and a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He belonged to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, the Vinoy Country Club and the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. Since 1968, he was a director of the St. Petersburg Salvation Army. He was an industrial engineering graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Victoria B.; a son, F. Jeffrey Rahall, of St. Petersburg; a brother, Sam G., of St. Petersburg; a sister, Julienne Newey, of Jacksonville; three granddaughters, Victoria, of Tampa, and Cary and Alexandria, both of St. Petersburg; seven nephews, including U.S. Rep. Nick Joe Rahall, D-W.Va.; and five nieces... burial at Memorial Park Cemetery.
(Obituary from "St. Petersburg Times," St. Petersburg, Florida, May 25, 2006.)
He was born in Beckley, W.Va., one of four sons of a Lebanese [Syrian] immigrant. Three of the sons, including Farris Rahall, found a common occupation in post-World War II broadcasting and became principals in Rahall Communications, which operated radio stations in West Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire and Florida. A winter visitor to St. Petersburg from Beckley with his family since 1929, he and his brothers Sam and Joe bought radio Station WTSP-AM 1380 from Nelson Poynter, publisher of the St. Petersburg Times, in 1956.
Mr. Rahall's philanthropic efforts benefitted such local causes as Eckerd College. In 1997, he and his wife gave the school $350,000 to create a communications program. He also financially supported Shorecrest Preparatory School, which his son and daughter-in-law, Cary, attended, proving seed money for the Rahall Family Sports Complex.
Mr. Rahall was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of St. Petersburg and a life member of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. He was a Mason and Rotarian and a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He belonged to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, the Vinoy Country Club and the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. Since 1968, he was a director of the St. Petersburg Salvation Army. He was an industrial engineering graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Victoria B.; a son, F. Jeffrey Rahall, of St. Petersburg; a brother, Sam G., of St. Petersburg; a sister, Julienne Newey, of Jacksonville; three granddaughters, Victoria, of Tampa, and Cary and Alexandria, both of St. Petersburg; seven nephews, including U.S. Rep. Nick Joe Rahall, D-W.Va.; and five nieces... burial at Memorial Park Cemetery.
(Obituary from "St. Petersburg Times," St. Petersburg, Florida, May 25, 2006.)
ST. PETERSBURG - Farris E. Rahall, a member of a prominent family with interests in broadcasting, real estate, banking and politics, died Wednesday at St. Anthony's Hospital. He was 90. Mr. Rahall, former chairman of the executive committee of Rahall Communications Corp., had been ill a long time and died of pneumonia, family members said.
He was born in Beckley, W.Va., one of four sons of a Lebanese [Syrian] immigrant. Three of the sons, including Farris Rahall, found a common occupation in post-World War II broadcasting and became principals in Rahall Communications, which operated radio stations in West Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire and Florida. A winter visitor to St. Petersburg from Beckley with his family since 1929, he and his brothers Sam and Joe bought radio Station WTSP-AM 1380 from Nelson Poynter, publisher of the St. Petersburg Times, in 1956.
Mr. Rahall's philanthropic efforts benefitted such local causes as Eckerd College. In 1997, he and his wife gave the school $350,000 to create a communications program. He also financially supported Shorecrest Preparatory School, which his son and daughter-in-law, Cary, attended, proving seed money for the Rahall Family Sports Complex.
Mr. Rahall was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of St. Petersburg and a life member of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. He was a Mason and Rotarian and a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He belonged to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, the Vinoy Country Club and the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. Since 1968, he was a director of the St. Petersburg Salvation Army. He was an industrial engineering graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Victoria B.; a son, F. Jeffrey Rahall, of St. Petersburg; a brother, Sam G., of St. Petersburg; a sister, Julienne Newey, of Jacksonville; three granddaughters, Victoria, of Tampa, and Cary and Alexandria, both of St. Petersburg; seven nephews, including U.S. Rep. Nick Joe Rahall, D-W.Va.; and five nieces... burial at Memorial Park Cemetery.
(Obituary from "St. Petersburg Times," St. Petersburg, Florida, May 25, 2006.)
He was born in Beckley, W.Va., one of four sons of a Lebanese [Syrian] immigrant. Three of the sons, including Farris Rahall, found a common occupation in post-World War II broadcasting and became principals in Rahall Communications, which operated radio stations in West Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire and Florida. A winter visitor to St. Petersburg from Beckley with his family since 1929, he and his brothers Sam and Joe bought radio Station WTSP-AM 1380 from Nelson Poynter, publisher of the St. Petersburg Times, in 1956.
Mr. Rahall's philanthropic efforts benefitted such local causes as Eckerd College. In 1997, he and his wife gave the school $350,000 to create a communications program. He also financially supported Shorecrest Preparatory School, which his son and daughter-in-law, Cary, attended, proving seed money for the Rahall Family Sports Complex.
Mr. Rahall was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of St. Petersburg and a life member of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. He was a Mason and Rotarian and a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He belonged to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, the Vinoy Country Club and the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. Since 1968, he was a director of the St. Petersburg Salvation Army. He was an industrial engineering graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Victoria B.; a son, F. Jeffrey Rahall, of St. Petersburg; a brother, Sam G., of St. Petersburg; a sister, Julienne Newey, of Jacksonville; three granddaughters, Victoria, of Tampa, and Cary and Alexandria, both of St. Petersburg; seven nephews, including U.S. Rep. Nick Joe Rahall, D-W.Va.; and five nieces... burial at Memorial Park Cemetery.
(Obituary from "St. Petersburg Times," St. Petersburg, Florida, May 25, 2006.)
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