Rudolph A�a��A"RudyA�a��A� Recklies

COLUMBIANA-Rudolph âa�A"Rudyâa�A� Recklies of Columbiana, a local radio and television broadcasting pioneer, died peacefully Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009, at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, surrounded by family and friends. He was 81. A broadcast engineer whose career spanned five decades, Mr. Recklies was one of the earliest employees of WFMJ-TV Channel 21, retiring as the stationâa�a��s chief engineer in the mid 1990s. He was born Nov. 13, 1927, in Charleroi, Pa., a son of the late Mary Botzek Recklies and Frederick Recklies Sr., who emigrated to the United States from Germany in the 1920s. A graduate of Youngstownâa�a��s Wilson High School, he attended Youngstown College and the American Television Institute in Chicago. During the Korean War, he served as a medic in the U.S. Army, holding the rank of corporal. He turned his boyhood love of radio and broadcasting into a successful career, joining WFMJ radio as an audio engineer on Dec. 29, 1952. He helped to launch WFMJ-TV, which began broadcasting in the early 1950s. His commitment to audio excellence served him well throughout his career, which included numerous remote broadcasts of Youngstown Symphony Orchestra performances, religious services from many area churches, and the Canfield Fair. He kept his keen eye for innovation trained on emerging trends in broadcast technology over the decades, overseeing numerous upgrades that helped maintain WFMJâa�a��s strong presence in a competitive market. As chief engineer, he helped to prepare the station for conversion to high definition broadcasting. After retiring, he continued to work as a consultant for several years. During the 1970s, in addition to his broadcasting career, he also managed the Canfield area Skuttle Manufacturing, a maker of electronic grain testers. Mr. Recklies was involved with the Society of Broadcast Engineers. An amateur radio operator along with his wife, Virginia âa�A"Peggyâa�A� Recklies, he was a member of the American Radio Relay League and the Twenty Over Nine amateur radio club. He used the call letters KB8NMV for many years. A man of diverse interests and abilities, he was an enthusiastic student of astronomy and mathematics and a gifted amateur economist. He was an avid reader and studied a wide range of subjects throughout his lifetime. He enjoyed rural living and had a deep appreciation of nature. He was married April 6, 1953, to the former Virginia Filban. In addition to his beloved wife of 55 years, he is survived by a son, Christopher Recklies of Cortland; a daughter, Susan Schell of Cleveland; and three grandchildren, Lauren (Michael) Madrusan of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Meghann Recklies and Kaitlynn Recklies of Pittsburgh. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Frederick Recklies Jr.; and a son, David. Services will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at the Cunningham-Becker Funeral Home in Poland with Rev. Gerald Fennell officiating. Burial will be in Lake Park Cemetery in Youngstown. Friends and family may call Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. at the funeral home. Please visit www.beckerobits.com to send condolences.

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