Subject: CKSR (Calvin Mourns Passing of Longtime Radio Broadcaster)
From: Jeffrey Febus <jfebus@calvin.edu>
To: "Calvin-sports@calvin.edu" <Calvin-sports@calvin.edu>
CC: null
SPECIAL CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR SEPT. 21, 2015
CALVIN MOURNS PASSING OF LONGTIME RADIO BROADCASTER
The Calvin College community is mourning the death of longtime Calvin men's basketball radio announcer Doug Wentworth. Mr. Wentworth was 79 when he passed away late Saturday evening, September 19.
A native of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Mr. Wentworth called Calvin College men's basketball game for 50 years - stretching from the 1964-65 season through the 2013-14 campaign. Wentworth retired from his broadcasting duties last year due to health concerns but continued to keep a close eye on the Calvin athletics program from his home in Hudsonville until his death this past weekend.
During his 50 years of broadcasting Calvin men's basketball games, he followed the Knights to national championships in 1992 and 2000 while also covering four teams (1990, 1992, 2000 and 2005) that reached the NCAA III Final Four. During his run, he covered five different head men's basketball coaches at Calvin - Barney Steen, Don Vroon, Ralph Honderd, Ed Douma and Kevin Vande Streek.
His final broadcast of a Calvin men's basketball game took place in March of 2014 when the Knights defeated rival Hope 78-53 in the MIAA Tournament Championship game in Holland.
Mr. Wentworth began his broadcasting career as a student in 1953 at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He later worked as a radio announcer at WDUX in Waupaca, Wisconsin, before moving on to WHAK in Rogers City, Michigan.
In January of 1960, Mr. Wentworth arrived in West Michigan and began a 25-year run at WJBL in Holland, serving as a morning disc jockey and as a play-by-play announcer for area high school football and basketball games. In November of 1964, WJBL began its first season of broadcasting Calvin men's basketball games with Mr. Wentworth providing the play-by-play. In the spring of 1985, he moved over to WFUR in Grand Rapids where he called Calvin men's basketball games for the next 29 years.
In 2003, he was given honorary Calvin alumni status by the Calvin Alumni Association for his years of covering Calvin men's basketball games.
In addition to covering Calvin men's basketball at WFUR, he also covered Hope College football in the fall and the Hope men's basketball team during their trips to the NCAA III Final Four in 1996 and 1998. At WFUR, he also broadcast numerous high school football and basketball games and covered several West Michigan teams that captured Michigan High School State Athletic Association state championships.
In 2005, Mr. Wentworth was presented with the MHSAA Bush Award for his service to high school athletics as a West Michigan broadcaster. In 2006 he was presented the Community Service Award at the Grand Rapids March of Dimes banquet. In 2009, he was inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Honor in the media division.
Mr. Wentworth is survived by his wife of 53 years, Bonnie Wentworth, three grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Suzanne and his sister Joyce.
Mr. Wentworth's memorial service will take place on Thursday, September 24, at the VanderLaan Funeral Home in Hudsonville at 2 p.m.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This past February, Doug Wentworth was interviewed by his longtime radio partner Gregg Bareman after he had announced his retirement. That interview can be listened to in podcast format at: http://static.psbin.com/t/t/j32zkq8qadu6qi/DougWentworthInterviewFeb2015.mp3
A fuller story of his life that was printed when he was given honorary Calvin alumni status in 2003 can be also be found on the Calvin website at: http://calvinknights.com/sports/mbkb/2015-16/releases/20150921ccwrqc
