Funeral arrangements for Jim Zabel

A Celebration of Life service for longtime Iowa athletics and WHO radio broadcaster Jim Zabel will be held at 4 p.m. June 21 at Lutheran Church of Hope, 925 Jordan Creek Pkwy in West Des Moines.  Visitation will precede the funeral service from 2-4 p.m. at the church.

The iconic broadcaster died on May 23 at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 91.

Zabel's career at Des Moines' WHO spanned nearly 70 years. He began his career at the prominent radio stadium after graduating with a journalism degree from Iowa in 1944. He called more than 6,000 sporting events, including the Drake Relays for 60 years, and the Iowa state boys and girls basketball tournaments for 52 years.

Zabel made his mark calling Iowa football and men's basketball games for 49 seasons. He still worked on a WHO radio show on Sunday nights.  Zabel earned the Marconi Award as the Personality of the Year from the National Association of Broadcasters in 1993.

Memorials may be directed to the University of Iowa Foundation, 1 W. Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242, to be divided between the Jim Zabel Scholarship Fund and Hawkeye Fund, Iowa Athletics.

Zabel is survived by his wife, Jill, his daughter, Jane Paul and husband Jeff, grandchildren Annie Gibson and her husband Brian, and A.J. and Charlie Paul, stepchildren Jennifer Greaux and husband Ken, and Jeff Williams, three great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, and his sister, Joan Humm.  He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Jan, and his daughter, Diane Webster.

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