People are looking for Bill Schonely’s Wife, a sports broadcaster who died recently. William W. Schonely, nicknamed “The Schonz,” was an American sports broadcaster who served as the Portland Trail Blazers’ play-by-play announcer from 1970 until 1998. He started his broadcasting career in the 1950s as a sports reporter and anchor 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 the next 25 years.
He rose to become one of the NBA’s most popular and well-known analysts. His energy and love for the game, as well as his in-depth understanding of the game, helped him gain popularity among Blazers fans and players alike.
Who Is Dottie Schonely, Bill Schonely’s Wife? Get to Know His Wife
Schonely and Barbara, his first wife; Dorothy “Dottie” Kehr, his childhood love, was his second wife. After meeting at their 50th high school reunion years after his divorce and her husband’s death, they married on March 16, 1991. Dottie Schonely’s full name is Dorothy Schonely, and she has been married to Bill Schonely for over 60 years. They started dating in the early 1980s and married in 1991. Dottie Schonely is a solitary woman who likes to avoid the limelight. As a result, nothing is known about her.
She has been a constant in her husband’s life, encouraging and supporting him throughout his long and successful broadcasting career. Dottie Schonely is not a well-known person, but those who know her value and appreciate her. She is noted for her friendliness, kindness, and generosity, and she is said to have been a lifeline for her husband throughout his career. He volunteered with the American Heart Association, Life Flight, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Providence Child Center Foundation, among others. He sang in his church choir, played golf, and listened to big band music.
Who Are the Bill Schonely Children? Family Details
Bill Schonely was married twice and had four children. Steve, his son, passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 61 years old, had graduated from high school in Seattle, and resided in Hawaii. Rick, one of his kids, worked as a statistician for the television crew in the 1980s. Bill Schonely passed away on January 21, 2023, at the age of 93. The cause of death could not be identified immediately. After more than 50 years with the Trail Blazers, he retired at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Schonely was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, as the first child of Walter and Juanita Schonely. He was a Marine Corps veteran who hosted an overseas sports program on Armed Forces Radio. Schonely went on to serve as the voice of the Seattle Totems in the Western Hockey League and for Seattle radio station KVI. He valued his community links and became a Trail Blazers Ambassador in 2003, helping the team’s outreach program while staying in touch with the Rip City community. He served as a sports commentator 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.
Bill Schonely’s Net Worth Before His Death
Bill Schonely’s net worth was $5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider, and his primary source of income is as a sports journalist. Schonely was appointed as the Trail Blazers’ sixth team member by founder Harry Glickman, who quickly tasked him with creating a radio network to expose Oregonians to the franchise.
During his tenure with the club, he coined many iconic catchphrases, the most well-known of which being “Rip City,” which has become associated with both the team and the city of Portland.