HERBERT W. "JAY WALKER" BRABANDER, of Fort Wayne, passed away Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Born June 11, 1937, in Chicago, Ill., he was a graduate of Southfield High School in Michigan. He served as a U.S. Marine for two years prior to entering his career in broadcasting. Before retiring in 2006 as morning Weather Anchor for WPTA Channel 21, he had already left a legacy in broadcasting in the Fort Wayne area. Prior to moving to the Fort Wayne area, he started as a disc jockey in Boston, Mass. and then became a disc jockey for WKFR in Ann Arbor, Mich. He began his Fort Wayne broadcasting career in 1966 as a rock and roll disc jockey...
HERBERT W. "JAY WALKER" BRABANDER, of Fort Wayne, passed away Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Born June 11, 1937, in Chicago, Ill., he was a graduate of Southfield High School in Michigan. He served as a U.S. Marine for two years prior to entering his career in broadcasting. Before retiring in 2006 as morning Weather Anchor for WPTA Channel 21, he had already left a legacy in broadcasting in the Fort Wayne area. Prior to moving to the Fort Wayne area, he started as a disc jockey in Boston, Mass. and then became a disc jockey for WKFR in Ann Arbor, Mich. He began his Fort Wayne broadcasting career in 1966 as a rock and roll disc jockey for WLYV. In 1976, he joined WPTA in production and moved to prime-time Weather Anchor in 1979 and did this until the mid-1990's when he returned to radio as a morning talk-show host on WOWO and weekend weather anchor for WPTA. Throughout his career, he also provided weather every morning to area radio stations WMEE, WAJI, WOWO and WFGA. He adored his weekends spent on Big Barbee Lake in North Webster, Ind., where he and his family had a cottage. He loved to water ski and to take his daughters tubing. He was an avid Michigan Wolverines fan. His other hobbies included snow skiing and restoring his '57 Chevy convertible. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Brabander; two daughters, Korrie Wilhelm and Kimberly Watson; his brother, Gary Brabander of Ward, Conneticut; and several nieces and nephews. He was "Grandad" to five grandsons, Trevor, Hayden, Simon, Logan and Connor. He was preceded in death by his father, Herbert Brabander Sr.; his mother, Mary Jane Davenport Brabander; and his brother, Fred Brabander. "In the end the love you take is equal to the love you make" -The End by The Beatles, Abbey Road. Funeral service is 2 p.m. Sunday, June 10, 2012 at Hockemeyer & Miller Funeral Home, 6131 St. Joe Road, Fort Wayne. Calling is from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 9, 2012. Donations and memorials to the American Diabetes Association