Gary King (broadcaster)

Gary Dennis King (July 24, 1934 – August 28, 2019) was an American businessman and radio personality. He founded WYAR, in Yarmouth, Maine, in 1998. He established the Heritage Radio Society three years earlier.[1][2]

Gary King
BornJuly 24, 1934
DiedAugust 28, 2019(2019-08-28) (aged 85)
Resting placeOld Baptist Cemetery, Yarmouth, Maine
Known forfounding WYAR and the Heritage Radio Society
SpouseLois Brown (1956–2004; her death)
Parent(s)Charles H. King
Marion Noyes

Early life

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King was born in Pownal, Maine, in 1934, to Charles King and Marion Noyes.[1] He moved to Yarmouth, Maine, during his childhood, and lived on East Elm Street.

He served as a radio operator in the United States Army Signal Corps in Germany at the conclusion of World War II.[1]

Career

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After returning to Maine from military service, King worked as an announcer on WCME and WCSH. At WCSH, he became a television engineer,[3] then a program director.[1]

In 1995, he established the Heritage Radio Society.[4][5] Three years later,[6] WYAR went on the air in the basement of their home on Cousins Island, Maine.[7][8] He served as the station's chief operator and manager for the next fifteen years.[1][9]

Personal life

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In 1956, King married Lois Brown, whom he had known since he was eight years old. They had four sons.[1]

King played the banjo, and was a member of the Ken MacKenzie band, a local group.[1]

Death

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King died in 2019, aged 85, after a battle with Parkinson's disease.[1] He had survived his wife by fifteen years. They are both interred in Yarmouth's Old Baptist Cemetery.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Read Gary Dennis King's Obituary & Leave Condolences". everloved.com. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  2. ^ Yarmouth Historical Society newsletter, Fall 2017
  3. ^ "Go ahead, touch that dial; it's time to rediscover local radio". Press Herald. 2020-04-13. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  4. ^ "about wyar". www.wyar.org. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  5. ^ "Yarmouth Stories: WYAR-FM". www.yarmouthmehistory.org. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  6. ^ "Raymond woman keeping late uncle's radio dream alive". Press Herald. 2013-11-04. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  7. ^ Donnelly, Sara Anne (2015-08-14). "Return of the Old-Timers". Down East Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  8. ^ "Staff Photo Thursday, January 26 Photo by Derek Davis: Gary King and..." Getty Images. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  9. ^ "Personalities". www.wyar.org. Retrieved 2024-01-05.