Howie Chizek, the longtime talk-show host on WNIR radio, died of an apparent heart attack Saturday, June 16th on a trip to Florida for his New Adventure youth program, which treated a group of children each summer to a trip to Disney World.
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS -- A funeral service for WNIR radio talk show host Howie Chizek will be held from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on June 21 at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel, located at 1985 S. Taylor Rd. in Cleveland Heights.
Chizek, who turned 65 on June 9, died from a heart attack a week later while on a trip with underprivileged children to Orlando's Disney World.
Chizek worked at WNIR for 38 years and was the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
A private burial will take place at Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg after the service.
WNIR tells Channel 3 that the station will broadcast Chizek's service at 7 p.m. on June 21.
WKYC-TV
Chizek is survived by a brother, Larry (Bonnie) Chizek, also of Twinsburg.
from Plain Dealer:
CHIZEK HOWARD "HOWIE" CHIZEK, dearest brother of Lawrence (Bonnie) Chizek; loving uncle of Michael (Monica) Chizek, David (Jodi) Chizek, Steven (Gloria) Chizek, Lindsey (Chris) Cratty, Jill (Chris) Gresham, Tricia Stutin and Matt (Jacquie) Stutin; cherished son of the late Joseph and Sylvia Chizek; loving great uncle to many nieces and nephews; devoted friend to all. Services will be held at BERKOWITZ-KUMIN-BOOKATZ MEMORIAL CHAPEL, 1985 S. TAYLOR RD., CLEVELAND HTS., Thursday, June 21 at 10 a.m. Private interment. Family will receive friends at 10030 Parmalee Dr., Twinsburg THURSDAY 3-7 P.M., FRIDAY 2-5 P.M. and SATURDAY 4-7 P.M. Please omit flowers. Contributions are suggested to the Gathering Place or the Howie Chizek Memorial Fund, c/o Communion of Saints Parish, 2175 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Hts., 44118-2898.∼WNIR radio icon.
Howie Chizek, Akron radio host and former Cavs announcer, is dead at 65.
Published: Saturday, June 16, 2012, 11:52 PM Updated: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 2:17 AM.
By Tom Feran, The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Longtime area broadcaster Howie Chizek, a talk radio host at Akron's WNIR FM/100.1 for almost 40 years and a former public address announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, died during a trip to Florida on Saturday. Chizek, 65, apparently suffered a heart attack on a plane, according to WNIR, which announced his death on Saturday night. As durable as he was opinionated, the usually conservative and sometimes bombastic Chizek broadcast for five hours weekdays and three hours Saturdays on WNIR. His 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. show ranked first among adults in Akron's ratings and was said to be the longest-running radio talk show in America. Except for one three-year hiatus, he was the announcer at Cavs games from 1977 to 1995, and for the Cleveland Force soccer team during the 1980s. Chizek liked to say he invented the 3-point call in basketball, and he was one of the first to inject high-volume excitement into public address announcing -- so much that it led to his retiring from the Cavs to focus on radio. "I tore the top of my vocal cords," he said. "I lost all the high notes." Chizek grew up in University Heights, and was a child actor at the Cleveland Play House and Cain Park. A graduate of Cleveland Heights High School and Ohio University, he got his start in radio while still a student, at WOUB-AM in Athens, and then worked five years at WBBW-AM in Youngstown. "I run my show like a buffet restaurant," he said. "It's almost like a party. I put several subjects on the table and you can take mine, or bring one of your own."
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS June 17, 2012 11:24PM.
AKRON, Ohio — Longtime radio host Howie Chizek of Akron's radio station WNIR died Saturday while traveling for charity work, said the station's president. Bob Klaus said Mr. Chizek's family confirmed the 65-year-old died while traveling to northern Florida. The family told Klaus that Mr. Chizek died of a heart attack. The popular radio host was on the air six days a week and had worked at the station for 38 years. He also served as public announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers at Richfield Coliseum for 17 years, between the 1970s and 1990s. "He was absolutely amazing talent who had gigantic charisma," Klaus said. "And behind the scenes he was a very warm, gentle man." Mr. Chizek was on the first day of vacation taking 10 underprivileged youths along with several chaperones to Walt Disney World as part of his annual charity program. Klaus said Chizek had paid for the children's trips. "He just loved to make the world a better place," he said. AP
_____________________________
NOTE: I listened to Howie for years. He WAS an Akron icon. He was not married and had no children of his own but he loved kids and loved doing nice things for them. Every Christmas for weeks he asked for donations from his listeners for a fund through WNIR to buy toys for poor kids and for groceries for families. And his public loved him enough that they came through every year for him. Howie was a rich man but had no children to buy for so he bought for the underprivlidged kids instead. Howie was truly one in a million. He had a solid listenership and always talked with respect to the ladies, even when they were hard on him. Howie died on the first day of his vacation. He was taking 10-kids to Disneyworld in Florida. So he did actually die doing what he loved. We'll miss you Howie. More than you know.
_____________________________
HOWIE'S DEATH: Howie wasn't feeling well on the flight from Ohio to Florida. But he didn't want to upset any of the kids. Once on the ground at the airline terminal, Howie told the chaperones to take the children ahead, that he was going to sit down for a few minutes. He had to know something was very wrong. Howie slowly passed away sitting on the bench with EMS unable to revive him. The children went on to have a great time at Disney World and were not told that Howie was gone untill they had returned to Ohio.
____________________________
Visit memorials on Find A Grave for these other Akron area favorites:
Cliff Rodgers # 116132681
"Jay Bird" Drennan # 19447615
Joe Finan # 17363641
Tom Erickson # 100378381
Captain Penny # 14568196
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS -- A funeral service for WNIR radio talk show host Howie Chizek will be held from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on June 21 at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel, located at 1985 S. Taylor Rd. in Cleveland Heights.
Chizek, who turned 65 on June 9, died from a heart attack a week later while on a trip with underprivileged children to Orlando's Disney World.
Chizek worked at WNIR for 38 years and was the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
A private burial will take place at Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg after the service.
WNIR tells Channel 3 that the station will broadcast Chizek's service at 7 p.m. on June 21.
WKYC-TV
Chizek is survived by a brother, Larry (Bonnie) Chizek, also of Twinsburg.
from Plain Dealer:
CHIZEK HOWARD "HOWIE" CHIZEK, dearest brother of Lawrence (Bonnie) Chizek; loving uncle of Michael (Monica) Chizek, David (Jodi) Chizek, Steven (Gloria) Chizek, Lindsey (Chris) Cratty, Jill (Chris) Gresham, Tricia Stutin and Matt (Jacquie) Stutin; cherished son of the late Joseph and Sylvia Chizek; loving great uncle to many nieces and nephews; devoted friend to all. Services will be held at BERKOWITZ-KUMIN-BOOKATZ MEMORIAL CHAPEL, 1985 S. TAYLOR RD., CLEVELAND HTS., Thursday, June 21 at 10 a.m. Private interment. Family will receive friends at 10030 Parmalee Dr., Twinsburg THURSDAY 3-7 P.M., FRIDAY 2-5 P.M. and SATURDAY 4-7 P.M. Please omit flowers. Contributions are suggested to the Gathering Place or the Howie Chizek Memorial Fund, c/o Communion of Saints Parish, 2175 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Hts., 44118-2898.∼WNIR radio icon.
Howie Chizek, Akron radio host and former Cavs announcer, is dead at 65.
Published: Saturday, June 16, 2012, 11:52 PM Updated: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 2:17 AM.
By Tom Feran, The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Longtime area broadcaster Howie Chizek, a talk radio host at Akron's WNIR FM/100.1 for almost 40 years and a former public address announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, died during a trip to Florida on Saturday. Chizek, 65, apparently suffered a heart attack on a plane, according to WNIR, which announced his death on Saturday night. As durable as he was opinionated, the usually conservative and sometimes bombastic Chizek broadcast for five hours weekdays and three hours Saturdays on WNIR. His 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. show ranked first among adults in Akron's ratings and was said to be the longest-running radio talk show in America. Except for one three-year hiatus, he was the announcer at Cavs games from 1977 to 1995, and for the Cleveland Force soccer team during the 1980s. Chizek liked to say he invented the 3-point call in basketball, and he was one of the first to inject high-volume excitement into public address announcing -- so much that it led to his retiring from the Cavs to focus on radio. "I tore the top of my vocal cords," he said. "I lost all the high notes." Chizek grew up in University Heights, and was a child actor at the Cleveland Play House and Cain Park. A graduate of Cleveland Heights High School and Ohio University, he got his start in radio while still a student, at WOUB-AM in Athens, and then worked five years at WBBW-AM in Youngstown. "I run my show like a buffet restaurant," he said. "It's almost like a party. I put several subjects on the table and you can take mine, or bring one of your own."
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS June 17, 2012 11:24PM.
AKRON, Ohio — Longtime radio host Howie Chizek of Akron's radio station WNIR died Saturday while traveling for charity work, said the station's president. Bob Klaus said Mr. Chizek's family confirmed the 65-year-old died while traveling to northern Florida. The family told Klaus that Mr. Chizek died of a heart attack. The popular radio host was on the air six days a week and had worked at the station for 38 years. He also served as public announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers at Richfield Coliseum for 17 years, between the 1970s and 1990s. "He was absolutely amazing talent who had gigantic charisma," Klaus said. "And behind the scenes he was a very warm, gentle man." Mr. Chizek was on the first day of vacation taking 10 underprivileged youths along with several chaperones to Walt Disney World as part of his annual charity program. Klaus said Chizek had paid for the children's trips. "He just loved to make the world a better place," he said. AP
_____________________________
NOTE: I listened to Howie for years. He WAS an Akron icon. He was not married and had no children of his own but he loved kids and loved doing nice things for them. Every Christmas for weeks he asked for donations from his listeners for a fund through WNIR to buy toys for poor kids and for groceries for families. And his public loved him enough that they came through every year for him. Howie was a rich man but had no children to buy for so he bought for the underprivlidged kids instead. Howie was truly one in a million. He had a solid listenership and always talked with respect to the ladies, even when they were hard on him. Howie died on the first day of his vacation. He was taking 10-kids to Disneyworld in Florida. So he did actually die doing what he loved. We'll miss you Howie. More than you know.
_____________________________
HOWIE'S DEATH: Howie wasn't feeling well on the flight from Ohio to Florida. But he didn't want to upset any of the kids. Once on the ground at the airline terminal, Howie told the chaperones to take the children ahead, that he was going to sit down for a few minutes. He had to know something was very wrong. Howie slowly passed away sitting on the bench with EMS unable to revive him. The children went on to have a great time at Disney World and were not told that Howie was gone untill they had returned to Ohio.
____________________________
Visit memorials on Find A Grave for these other Akron area favorites:
Cliff Rodgers # 116132681
"Jay Bird" Drennan # 19447615
Joe Finan # 17363641
Tom Erickson # 100378381
Captain Penny # 14568196
Howie Chizek, the longtime talk-show host on WNIR radio, died of an apparent heart attack Saturday, June 16th on a trip to Florida for his New Adventure youth program, which treated a group of children each summer to a trip to Disney World.
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS -- A funeral service for WNIR radio talk show host Howie Chizek will be held from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on June 21 at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel, located at 1985 S. Taylor Rd. in Cleveland Heights.
Chizek, who turned 65 on June 9, died from a heart attack a week later while on a trip with underprivileged children to Orlando's Disney World.
Chizek worked at WNIR for 38 years and was the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
A private burial will take place at Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg after the service.
WNIR tells Channel 3 that the station will broadcast Chizek's service at 7 p.m. on June 21.
WKYC-TV
Chizek is survived by a brother, Larry (Bonnie) Chizek, also of Twinsburg.
from Plain Dealer:
CHIZEK HOWARD "HOWIE" CHIZEK, dearest brother of Lawrence (Bonnie) Chizek; loving uncle of Michael (Monica) Chizek, David (Jodi) Chizek, Steven (Gloria) Chizek, Lindsey (Chris) Cratty, Jill (Chris) Gresham, Tricia Stutin and Matt (Jacquie) Stutin; cherished son of the late Joseph and Sylvia Chizek; loving great uncle to many nieces and nephews; devoted friend to all. Services will be held at BERKOWITZ-KUMIN-BOOKATZ MEMORIAL CHAPEL, 1985 S. TAYLOR RD., CLEVELAND HTS., Thursday, June 21 at 10 a.m. Private interment. Family will receive friends at 10030 Parmalee Dr., Twinsburg THURSDAY 3-7 P.M., FRIDAY 2-5 P.M. and SATURDAY 4-7 P.M. Please omit flowers. Contributions are suggested to the Gathering Place or the Howie Chizek Memorial Fund, c/o Communion of Saints Parish, 2175 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Hts., 44118-2898.∼WNIR radio icon.
Howie Chizek, Akron radio host and former Cavs announcer, is dead at 65.
Published: Saturday, June 16, 2012, 11:52 PM Updated: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 2:17 AM.
By Tom Feran, The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Longtime area broadcaster Howie Chizek, a talk radio host at Akron's WNIR FM/100.1 for almost 40 years and a former public address announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, died during a trip to Florida on Saturday. Chizek, 65, apparently suffered a heart attack on a plane, according to WNIR, which announced his death on Saturday night. As durable as he was opinionated, the usually conservative and sometimes bombastic Chizek broadcast for five hours weekdays and three hours Saturdays on WNIR. His 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. show ranked first among adults in Akron's ratings and was said to be the longest-running radio talk show in America. Except for one three-year hiatus, he was the announcer at Cavs games from 1977 to 1995, and for the Cleveland Force soccer team during the 1980s. Chizek liked to say he invented the 3-point call in basketball, and he was one of the first to inject high-volume excitement into public address announcing -- so much that it led to his retiring from the Cavs to focus on radio. "I tore the top of my vocal cords," he said. "I lost all the high notes." Chizek grew up in University Heights, and was a child actor at the Cleveland Play House and Cain Park. A graduate of Cleveland Heights High School and Ohio University, he got his start in radio while still a student, at WOUB-AM in Athens, and then worked five years at WBBW-AM in Youngstown. "I run my show like a buffet restaurant," he said. "It's almost like a party. I put several subjects on the table and you can take mine, or bring one of your own."
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS June 17, 2012 11:24PM.
AKRON, Ohio — Longtime radio host Howie Chizek of Akron's radio station WNIR died Saturday while traveling for charity work, said the station's president. Bob Klaus said Mr. Chizek's family confirmed the 65-year-old died while traveling to northern Florida. The family told Klaus that Mr. Chizek died of a heart attack. The popular radio host was on the air six days a week and had worked at the station for 38 years. He also served as public announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers at Richfield Coliseum for 17 years, between the 1970s and 1990s. "He was absolutely amazing talent who had gigantic charisma," Klaus said. "And behind the scenes he was a very warm, gentle man." Mr. Chizek was on the first day of vacation taking 10 underprivileged youths along with several chaperones to Walt Disney World as part of his annual charity program. Klaus said Chizek had paid for the children's trips. "He just loved to make the world a better place," he said. AP
_____________________________
NOTE: I listened to Howie for years. He WAS an Akron icon. He was not married and had no children of his own but he loved kids and loved doing nice things for them. Every Christmas for weeks he asked for donations from his listeners for a fund through WNIR to buy toys for poor kids and for groceries for families. And his public loved him enough that they came through every year for him. Howie was a rich man but had no children to buy for so he bought for the underprivlidged kids instead. Howie was truly one in a million. He had a solid listenership and always talked with respect to the ladies, even when they were hard on him. Howie died on the first day of his vacation. He was taking 10-kids to Disneyworld in Florida. So he did actually die doing what he loved. We'll miss you Howie. More than you know.
_____________________________
HOWIE'S DEATH: Howie wasn't feeling well on the flight from Ohio to Florida. But he didn't want to upset any of the kids. Once on the ground at the airline terminal, Howie told the chaperones to take the children ahead, that he was going to sit down for a few minutes. He had to know something was very wrong. Howie slowly passed away sitting on the bench with EMS unable to revive him. The children went on to have a great time at Disney World and were not told that Howie was gone untill they had returned to Ohio.
____________________________
Visit memorials on Find A Grave for these other Akron area favorites:
Cliff Rodgers # 116132681
"Jay Bird" Drennan # 19447615
Joe Finan # 17363641
Tom Erickson # 100378381
Captain Penny # 14568196
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS -- A funeral service for WNIR radio talk show host Howie Chizek will be held from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on June 21 at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel, located at 1985 S. Taylor Rd. in Cleveland Heights.
Chizek, who turned 65 on June 9, died from a heart attack a week later while on a trip with underprivileged children to Orlando's Disney World.
Chizek worked at WNIR for 38 years and was the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
A private burial will take place at Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg after the service.
WNIR tells Channel 3 that the station will broadcast Chizek's service at 7 p.m. on June 21.
WKYC-TV
Chizek is survived by a brother, Larry (Bonnie) Chizek, also of Twinsburg.
from Plain Dealer:
CHIZEK HOWARD "HOWIE" CHIZEK, dearest brother of Lawrence (Bonnie) Chizek; loving uncle of Michael (Monica) Chizek, David (Jodi) Chizek, Steven (Gloria) Chizek, Lindsey (Chris) Cratty, Jill (Chris) Gresham, Tricia Stutin and Matt (Jacquie) Stutin; cherished son of the late Joseph and Sylvia Chizek; loving great uncle to many nieces and nephews; devoted friend to all. Services will be held at BERKOWITZ-KUMIN-BOOKATZ MEMORIAL CHAPEL, 1985 S. TAYLOR RD., CLEVELAND HTS., Thursday, June 21 at 10 a.m. Private interment. Family will receive friends at 10030 Parmalee Dr., Twinsburg THURSDAY 3-7 P.M., FRIDAY 2-5 P.M. and SATURDAY 4-7 P.M. Please omit flowers. Contributions are suggested to the Gathering Place or the Howie Chizek Memorial Fund, c/o Communion of Saints Parish, 2175 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Hts., 44118-2898.∼WNIR radio icon.
Howie Chizek, Akron radio host and former Cavs announcer, is dead at 65.
Published: Saturday, June 16, 2012, 11:52 PM Updated: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 2:17 AM.
By Tom Feran, The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Longtime area broadcaster Howie Chizek, a talk radio host at Akron's WNIR FM/100.1 for almost 40 years and a former public address announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, died during a trip to Florida on Saturday. Chizek, 65, apparently suffered a heart attack on a plane, according to WNIR, which announced his death on Saturday night. As durable as he was opinionated, the usually conservative and sometimes bombastic Chizek broadcast for five hours weekdays and three hours Saturdays on WNIR. His 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. show ranked first among adults in Akron's ratings and was said to be the longest-running radio talk show in America. Except for one three-year hiatus, he was the announcer at Cavs games from 1977 to 1995, and for the Cleveland Force soccer team during the 1980s. Chizek liked to say he invented the 3-point call in basketball, and he was one of the first to inject high-volume excitement into public address announcing -- so much that it led to his retiring from the Cavs to focus on radio. "I tore the top of my vocal cords," he said. "I lost all the high notes." Chizek grew up in University Heights, and was a child actor at the Cleveland Play House and Cain Park. A graduate of Cleveland Heights High School and Ohio University, he got his start in radio while still a student, at WOUB-AM in Athens, and then worked five years at WBBW-AM in Youngstown. "I run my show like a buffet restaurant," he said. "It's almost like a party. I put several subjects on the table and you can take mine, or bring one of your own."
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS June 17, 2012 11:24PM.
AKRON, Ohio — Longtime radio host Howie Chizek of Akron's radio station WNIR died Saturday while traveling for charity work, said the station's president. Bob Klaus said Mr. Chizek's family confirmed the 65-year-old died while traveling to northern Florida. The family told Klaus that Mr. Chizek died of a heart attack. The popular radio host was on the air six days a week and had worked at the station for 38 years. He also served as public announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers at Richfield Coliseum for 17 years, between the 1970s and 1990s. "He was absolutely amazing talent who had gigantic charisma," Klaus said. "And behind the scenes he was a very warm, gentle man." Mr. Chizek was on the first day of vacation taking 10 underprivileged youths along with several chaperones to Walt Disney World as part of his annual charity program. Klaus said Chizek had paid for the children's trips. "He just loved to make the world a better place," he said. AP
_____________________________
NOTE: I listened to Howie for years. He WAS an Akron icon. He was not married and had no children of his own but he loved kids and loved doing nice things for them. Every Christmas for weeks he asked for donations from his listeners for a fund through WNIR to buy toys for poor kids and for groceries for families. And his public loved him enough that they came through every year for him. Howie was a rich man but had no children to buy for so he bought for the underprivlidged kids instead. Howie was truly one in a million. He had a solid listenership and always talked with respect to the ladies, even when they were hard on him. Howie died on the first day of his vacation. He was taking 10-kids to Disneyworld in Florida. So he did actually die doing what he loved. We'll miss you Howie. More than you know.
_____________________________
HOWIE'S DEATH: Howie wasn't feeling well on the flight from Ohio to Florida. But he didn't want to upset any of the kids. Once on the ground at the airline terminal, Howie told the chaperones to take the children ahead, that he was going to sit down for a few minutes. He had to know something was very wrong. Howie slowly passed away sitting on the bench with EMS unable to revive him. The children went on to have a great time at Disney World and were not told that Howie was gone untill they had returned to Ohio.
____________________________
Visit memorials on Find A Grave for these other Akron area favorites:
Cliff Rodgers # 116132681
"Jay Bird" Drennan # 19447615
Joe Finan # 17363641
Tom Erickson # 100378381
Captain Penny # 14568196
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