Broadcasters mourn loss of Steve Schott

posted on 5.29.2009

Steve Schott, 65, a well known and well respected, broadcast engineer and equipment salesman, died May 28.

His wife, Donna, said Steve was not feeling well and asked her to take him to the Glen Rose hospital. He passed out on the way and died at the hospital about 6:30 p.m.

Doctors said he had a massive heart attack.

He served multiple terms as the Associate Representative on the Texas Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors and was honored by TAB as the Associate of the Year in 1991. 

He also served multiple times as chair for the Society of Broadcast Engineers annual conference held in conjunction with TAB's annual convention. 

Schott worked for the past three years for Continental Electronics - the same place he began his broadcast equipment sales career.  When he started his employer was Collins  Radio - a division of Rockwell International that sold to Continental.

In between he worked for both Harris Broadcast and Broadcast Electronics selling transmitters to the same customers in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Previously Schott was the chief engineer at KLIF Dallas, working first for Gordon McClendon and later the Fairchild Broadcasting Co.  He was a longtime member of SBE Chapter 67 in Dallas/Fort Worth.

A native of Ogden, Utah, who grew up in Colorado, Steve started his broadcast career in Colorado at KAVI in Rocky Ford as a disk jockey and engineer. 

McClendon, a legendary Texas broadcaster, hired him away to be an announcer/engineer at WWWW-FM Detroit, and later promoted him to be chief engineer at WNUS Chicago, one of the first all news stations in the country.

A graduate of Drake University, he met his wife while attending the school in Des Moines.  They were married for 45 years and have a daughter and two sons.  

In the past decade, Schott sheltered and eventually found caring owners for more than 80 Old English sheep dogs.  He served for the past five years as president of the Texas Old English Sheepdog Refuge Organization and drove all across the state to pick up abandoned animals.

In his other spare time, he also flew sail planes, scuba dived and sailed - once chartering a boat and sailing to the Bahamas with longtime friend and colleague, Dave Holtsman of Birmingham, Ala.

"We've worked for the same companies for many years but never lived in the same town and that's why you're one of my best friends," Holtsman said Schott told him.

Colleagues, competitors and customers credit Schott for unfailing good humor and an uncanny ability to bridge the gap between differing factions within the industry.

"He had such a good sense of humor and warm smile and compassion.  He was a kind and good hearted man.  We're really going to miss Steve," said Mike Troje of Dallas, Continental Electronics sales manager.

Steve donated his organs and his body will be cremated.

There will be a memorial Sunday, June 7, at 2 p.m. at the Schott's home at 1230 Rugged Oaks, Glen Rose.  Their property is near the intersection of State Highway 56 and County Road 321.

In addition to his wife, Schott is survived by his daughter Mary Schott Johnson, sons, Patrick Schott and Paul Schott, and eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren.  All except Donna live in the Dallas area.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to www.texasoesrescue.org.

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