Obituary
Jim Seaver, hosted opera show 58 of his 92 years
Jim Seaver, host of one of the longest-running radio shows ever, Opera is My Hobby on Kansas Public Radio, died March 14 in Lawrence, Kan. He was 92.
The show debuted Sept. 19, 1952, just four days after KANU (now KPR) signed on the air. Seaver produced his last show a week ago, KPR General Manager Janet Campbell told the Lawrence Journal World.
“It was more than a hobby, even though that is what he called it,” she said. He continued to produce the show as a volunteer until he went into the hospital March 11. The newspaper noted the show’s success “was largely based on his extensive collection of one-of-a-kind opera recordings, many of which he kept in his attic.”
Seaver was a professor of Western civilization and ancient history at the University of Kansas until his retirement in the 1980s. He was considered an expert on opera as well as Greek and Roman history. “He was closest to a Renaissance man as I could think of,” his friend Lois Clark told the paper.
Survivors include his wife and three sons, Richard, of Leawood, Kan.; William, of Lawrence, Kan; and Robert, who lives in Italy. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver is his nephew.
The family is planning services.