A lot of time has passed, but I believe the year was 1970.  I had my first full-time radio announcing job at WIFN, 95.9 FM, in Franklin, Indiana (a station that no longer exists).

WIFN tried to be a local station.  One of my first assignments outside the studio was working a remote broadcast from a local nonprofit organization fish fry.  My job was to talk with people there and encourage locals to support the fish fry.

Let’s just say I had my baptism of fire.  This was my first such assignment.  I stumbled around and essentially made a fool of myself trying to handle this remote broadcast.  I sounded like a rookie.

The person at the controls back at the station was an experienced radio hand that intervened and struck up a two-way conversation with me, sensing I was in trouble.  Jim Walsh worked part-time but had worked in radio a while and knew what he was doing.

By striking up a conversation with me in the remote trailer and himself in the studio, he essentially saved my broadcast career.  Before his intervention, I was ready to move on to another profession.

I hooked up with Jim many years later when he was working to organize a public radio station, or “community radio,” as Jim liked to describe the concept.  I joked with him that he was responsible for me working in the broadcast business for 14 years, for better or worse.  Had he not bailed me out in 1970, there is no telling where my radio career would have ended up.

I helped Jim as a volunteer to get that community radio station started.  It became what is now known as WITT, 91.9 FM.  It happened because Jim put people together and made it happen.  It took many years, but he got it done.

I discovered on a Facebook page devoted to local radio that Jim Walsh died days ago.  John Rabold wrote a tribute to Jim on that Facebook page.  Here is part of what John wrote:

“Jim rarely had a frown. Always smiling. We always loved it when he would arrive at Skyline Chili when the radio group met every Friday. He LOVED local radio. What the corporation stations were doing, Jim did the opposite. So opposite it was Unpredictable.”

“Jim was a devoted husband, father, family man, friend and radio geek. His voice would light up when I would call him.”

I had the same experience when calling Jim.  His voice would light up and the conversation was special.

Jim Walsh left his mark on our local community by heading-up the effort to create a community radio station.  It was because of Jim Walsh that WITT radio is still on the air.

I will remember Jim for his friendly attitude, the help he gave me as a struggling new broadcaster and I will never forget that big, wide smile.

If there is radio in heaven, Jim is part of it.  May his soul rest in peace.