My long time friend Tod Jeffers passed away after suffering a sudden heart attack in his sleep Saturday night. Â Tod had a previous attack about ten years ago but had hoped that was all in his past.
The radio station in Wheeling WV that Tod has been working for the last few years ran several tributes to him yesterday. Â Here’s the local TV news announcement of Tod’s passing.
Here’s his obituary as it appears this morning in several papers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Charles Tod Jeffers
April 22, 1941 – March 1, 2009 Charles Tod Jeffers, 67, of Wheeling, W.V., died suddenly at home, on Sunday, March 1, 2009. He was born on April 22, 1941, in Glen Dale, W.V., the son of the late Charles W. and Hazel Baker Jeffers.
Tod was a 1959 graduate of Moundsville High School and attended WLSC and Penn State University. He was U.S. Army Veteran serving in Greece, where he learned to speak the language fluently. Tod lived for the radio, broadcasting for over 45 years. He began his radio career while serving in Athens, Greece. After returning to the states, he continued that career at WMOD in Moundsville, WHLL-1600 in Wheeling (currently WKKX-1600), WWVA in Wheeling, WMAJ in State College, Pa., KLNK in Oklahoma City, Okla., WBNS in Columbus, Ohio, KOOL-94FM, then Z107FM in Harrisburg, Pa. He then made his final journey back to his roots in the Ohio Valley at AM1600-WKKX, where he hosted “Jeffers and Company”.
Throughout his career, he has interviewed many celebrities. Tod loved the people in the Ohio Valley. He was a pilot, an avid golfer, and quite a storyteller. He was a big West Virginia Mountaineer Fan; but Penn State held a large part of his heart. He was a season ticket holder at Beaver Stadium since 1965. He was “the voice” of the Penn State Men’s Basketball and Wrestling Programs.
Tod is survived by his daughter, Vicki Hoak (Russ Allen), of Chippewa Township, Pa.; a son, Andy Jeffers, of State College, Pa.; his grandchildren, Matt Hoak, of Vienna, Va., Danielle Hoak, of Chippewa Township, and Jasa Jeffers, of State College; his brothers, Toby (Kathy) Jeffers, of Beaver, Pa., and Jay (Kathy) Jeffers, of Moundsville; a sister, Marla (Ed) Rogerson, of Lake Arrowhead, Calif.; and his beloved pet and companion, Mikey, who will be lost without his faithful friend.
Tod will be deeply missed by all his family, friends, co-workers, and his many devoted listeners. Family will receive friends on Wednesday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at Grisell Funeral Home & Crematory, 400 Jefferson Avenue, Moundsville, where Memorial Services will be held on Thursday at 4 p.m., with Mike Eskridge officiating. Private interment will be held at the convenience of the family. Sympathy expressions at grisellfuneralhomes.com.
Tod will be sorely missed. He had an incredible ability to be at home in just about any environment. Wherever he went, he would quickly become the center of attention as he would hold court with his tales. As tall as they seemed to many, having been an integral part of more than just a few, I must admit that he stuck pretty much to the truth yet still managed to make them seem wildly entertaining.
Listeners to his radio show, in response to a poll asking how Tod would be remembered, overwhelming described answered as a “storyteller”. Nothing could be more accurate.
My condolences go out to his brothers and sister, his children, and his grandchildren. His oldest grandson, Matt, graduated from Penn State two years ago. Tod and I used to joke about how he was apt to soon become a great grandfather. Sadly he won’t see that day.
It’s sad to hear of Tod’s passing. As I told Larry on the phone last night, I thought so much of Tod’s storytelling, I’ve told some of his stories myself.
RIP, Tod.