Obituary
Jim Leonard, host on
Texas Public Radio, 61
Jim Leonard, a newsman for 17 years at Texas Public Radio’s KSTX-FM in San Antonio, died Nov. 10 of complications from a heart transplant he received in September. Leonard was 61 and had battled heart disease for decades, the station said.
“First and foremost, Jim Leonard was one of our best voices on KSTX,” said Nathan Cone, the broadcaster's former program chief and now classical music director, who worked with Leonard for more than a decade.
He was sharp at writing copy for air, and adept at handling the pressure of hosting our local broadcasts of All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Even when breaking news or technical problems may have caused chaos inside the studio, to the listeners, it sounded effortless. Few people can handle that the way Jim did.”
Leonard retired in 2010. He had joined the station in 1993.
He was born Nov. 21, 1949, and grew up on a peach farm in west central Georgia. His radio career began at age 14 in the 1960s with WFDR-AM in Woodbury, Ga., where he worked as an announcer throughout high school. He attended Mobile College, now known as the University of Mobile.
A memorial service took place Nov. 12 at American Legion 579 in San Antonio; Leonard had served on the combat front lines in Vietnam as an Army medic. His body will be interred in Georgia, the station said.
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