Kenneth Wooddell

MATTOON - It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of a legendary sports broadcaster and remarkable community leader, Kenneth Lyle Wooddell, age 97, of Mattoon. Ken passed away at 12:16 a.m. Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, Coles County, with his family by his side.

A funeral service in his honor will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home, 1200 Wabash Ave., Mattoon. The Rev. Ron Dickinson will officiate. A committal service will immediately follow in Dodge Grove Cemetery with military rites accorded by Mattoon VFW Post 4325. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at the funeral home.

Ken was born June 27, 1926, to the late Luther W. and Margaret E. (Hill) Wooddell in Paxton. He married Millie J. Stewart on Aug. 2, 1947, in Champaign. She preceded him in death on March 30, 1995. He later married Mabelle S. Snapp on Nov. 23, 1996; she survives and resides in Mattoon.

He is also survived by two sons, Ken Wooddell II and wife Polly of Menomonee, Wis., and Gary Wooddell and wife Marilyn of The Woodlands, Texas; four stepchildren, Mike Snapp and wife Maria of New Orleans, Lisa Snapp of Henderson, Nev., Laura Schneider of Coralville, Iowa, and David Snapp of St. Louis; four grandchildren, Katherine "Katie" E. Wooddell of Friendsville, Tenn., Kenneth P. Wooddell and wife Becky of Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kerry E. White and husband Jonathan of Wauwatosa, Wis., and Brian M. Wooddell of Fort Worth, Texas; and five great-grandchildren, Hailey Cross of Friendsville, Tenn., Elijah and Wesley Wooddell of Menomonee Falls, Wis., and Blake and Casey White of Wauwatosa, Wis.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Charles.

After graduating from high school in 1943 in Charlotte, Mich., Ken enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War Il. Following his honorable discharge, he graduated from the University of Illinois in 1949 and went on to work in radio broadcasting for 56 years. Before his 40-year tenure at WLBH in Mattoon, he worked at WDWS in Champaign, WILL in Urbana and WMIX in Mt. Vernon. Ken retired from WLBH in 1988 and taught for eight years, through 1996, in the Communications Department of Eastern Illinois University.

Ken was a 73-year member of the Mattoon Kiwanis club beginning in 1950. He also held a 75-year membership at Mattoon Masonic Lodge 260 since 1948. Ken was a longtime member of the American Legion, Mattoon Association of Commerce and Mattoon Area Family YMCA. He was a charter member of the Mattoon Tourism Committee and held a membership in the Eastern Illinois Panther Club. He was also a board member of First Federal Savings and Loan.

From 1949 to 1999, Mr. Wooddell's life involved news broadcasting, advertising sales and various levels of management for WLBH radio. His first love was sports broadcasting, in which he broadcast 1,768 games of all sports for Mattoon High School, Eastern Illinois University and local area schools.

Ken was inducted into the Illinois Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Eastern Illinois Letterman's Hall of Fame in 1995, was awarded the Coles Country 4-H Alumnus Award in 1988, and gained the IHSA Distinguished Service award in 1991. He received the Glen Hesler Eastern Illinois Award in 1993, an honorary directorship of the Charleston Holiday Tourney in 1994 and the Illinois Broadcaster Pioneer award in 2013.

With his vibrant personality, Mr. Wooddell touched the lives of countless individuals throughout our community. His departure leaves an irreplaceable void in our hearts and will forever leave a lasting impact on our community.

As much as Ken was devoted to his career and community, he was truly a family man at heart. He cherished his role as a loving husband, doting father, grandfather and great-grandfather, finding joy in the presence of his family. His unwavering love and support enriched the lives of his family and served as a guiding light for them.

Memorials in his honor may be made to the United Methodist Church, 1601 Charleston Ave., Mattoon, IL 61938.

Please visit mitchell-jerdan.com or facebook.com/mitchell-jerdanfuneralhome to light a virtual candle in his honor or share a memory with the family.