Photo: Brad Newgard
The Portland Trail Blazers will host a public celebration of life for Trail Blazers legend Bill Schonely on March 13 at 4:00 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Schonely died on Saturday, January 21 at the age of 93. The Norristown, Pennsylvania native served in the U.S. Marine Corps where he hosted a sports show for Armed Forces Radio overseas, before continuing his broadcast career in the Pacific Northwest. He was the sixth employee in Portland Trail Blazers history, serving as the team’s play-by-play voice for nearly 30 years. “The Mayor of Rip City” called more than 2,500 games, including the team’s incredible championship run in 1977 and the exciting runs throughout the 1990s. In 2003, he began serving as a Trail Blazers Ambassador, supporting the team’s outreach mission while maintaining connections with the Rip City community and appearing on various radio and television broadcasts. He retired from the organization at the conclusion of the 2021-22 NBA season after more than 50 years with the Trail Blazers.
Source: Portland Trail Blazers