Whatcom County loses this beloved radio voice
Dick Stark, a businessman and radio announcer who was the beloved voice of Whatcom County sports for six decades, died Tuesday, July 19, in Bellingham.
He was 88, and the cause was brain and lung cancer, said his longtime friend and colleague Keith Shipman, who is president and CEO of the Washington State Association of Broadcasters.
“He’s a guy who had such a profound impact on the county over the years,” Shipman told The Bellingham Herald.
“As important as he was as a play-by-play announcer, he also contributed mightily to help local businesses grow. If Dick Stark said your name on the radio, you knew you had made it,” Shipman said.
A lifelong Bellingham resident, Stark graduated from Bellingham High and Western Washington State College, which eventually became Western Washington University, according to biographical information provided by Shipman, and from a March 2021 tribute produced by Puget Sound Media.
He served in the U.S. military, including the Army and reserves, from 1954-1958, said his youngest son, Evan Stark.
At first, he was assigned to a tank unit, and later to the honor guard, whose responsibilities included parades and the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, Evan said.
After his discharge, Stark returned to Bellingham and never left.
“He was a huge part of the community,” Evan told The Herald.
Stark was an advertising sales executive and account manager for KPUG-AM, where he worked his entire career, from 1962 until 2018.
In addition, he ran a TV and video store in the 1980s and 90s, founded the Mavericks youth basketball league, and was instrumental in bringing the Boys and Girls Clubs to Bellingham, Shipman said.
But it was his radio broadcasts for Whatcom County high schools and for WWU football and basketball on KPUG-AM and KGMI-AM that brought him acclaim.
Evan said his dad’s announcing style was animated and detail-oriented, providing key information to keep listeners informed and engaged.
In 2005, Stark called the play as Squalicum High — tied with Hanford — stole the ball with seconds left in the third-place game at the state basketball tournament: “Six seconds, five seconds. Kicks it to Jones. Jones, three-point shot goes down! There’s only one second left! Dustin Jones buries the three and Squalicum has taken the lead, 61 to 58.”
For his radio work, Stark was inducted into the Washington State Football Coaches Hall of Fame and earned the Dave Duvall Award for Community Service; the Bellingham High School Athletic Hall of Fame; and the Washington State Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
An effort is gaining support among Stark’s friends and family to rename Civic Stadium in Stark’s honor as a way to solidify his legacy.
Civic Stadium is the athletic field where football, soccer and track and field events are held, and it’s part of the Civic Athletic Complex that includes Arne Hanna Aquatic Center, Joe Martin Stadium, the Sportsplex and Frank Geri Softball Fields.
“It’s an appropriate honor for a man whose efforts made Whatcom County a stronger community for youth and families over the past nine decades,” Shipman said in an email.
Evan said it would be “a great tribute” to his father.
“I would love to see that snowball get rolling,” he said.
Stark is survived by his wife nearly 60 years, Ardith, and his children Evan Stark, Leslie Stark, Renee Stark, Ward Stark and Yvonne Craig.
Services were scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Aug. 4 at Cordata Presbyterian Church.
Should Bellingham rename Civic Stadium for the beloved voice of Whatcom County sports?
