William W. Schonely, well known by his stage as “The Schonz,” was an American sportscaster who served as the Portland Trail Blazers’ play-by-play announcer from the team’s founding in 1970 until 1998.
He started his career in broadcasting in the 1950s as a sports anchor and reporter at several radio and television stations in the Pacific Northwest.
In 1970, he was hired as the Portland Trail Blazers’ play-by-play announcer, a role he held for 25 years.
He rose to become one of the most adored and well-known NBA pundits. He was well-liked by both Blazers players and fans because of his fervor for the game, enthusiasm for it, and extensive understanding of it.
Who Is Dottie Schonely, Bill Schonely’s Wife?
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Meet Schonely and his first wife Barbara; Dorothy “Dottie” Kehr, his second wife, was his childhood love.
After reuniting at their 50th high school reunion years after his divorce and her husband’s passing, they were married on March 16, 1991.
Dottie Schonely’s full name is Dorothy Schonely, and she has been wed to Bill Schonely for about 60 years. They got engaged in 1991 after meeting in the early 1980s.
Dottie Schonely is a private person who likes to avoid the limelight. As a result, not much is known about her.
She has supported her husband throughout his lengthy and prosperous radio career by being a constant in his life.
Despite not being well-known, Dottie Schonely is respected and admired by those who do.
She is regarded as having been her husband’s primary support system throughout his career and is recognized for her friendliness, kindness, and generosity.
With the American Heart Association, Life Flight, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Providence Child Center Foundation, he was actively engaged in charitable activities.
He played golf, liked listening to big band music, and sang in his church choir.
Bill Schonely Kids: Who Are They? Family Is Examined
Bill Schonely has four kids while being married twice. His son Steve passed away following a battle with cancer. He was 61 years old, resided in Hawaii, and went to high school in Seattle.
Rick, one of his kids, was a statistician for the television crew in the 1980s. The 93-year-old Bill Schonely passed away on January 21, 2023. It was unable to pinpoint the cause of death immediately quickly.
Steve Schonely He announced his retirement from the organization during an interview (source: NBA) after spending more than 50 years with the Trail Blazers.
Walter and Juanita Schonely’s first child, Schonely, was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
He was a Marine Corps veteran who also hosted a sports program for Armed Forces Radio.
Later, Schonely went on to work for Seattle radio station KVI and the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Totems as its announcer.
He valued his ties to the community and started working as a Trail Blazers Ambassador in 2003, helping the team’s community engagement efforts and staying in touch with the Rip City area.
He served as a sports announcer for the University of Washington football team, the Seattle Angels baseball club, the Oakland Seals of the National Hockey League, and the Seattle Pilots of Major League Baseball before joining the Trail Blazers.
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