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Newsman Jack Kellner passes away

  Jack Kellner, Sonoma resident since 1998 and former board member and volunteer at Vintage House senior center, died Jan. 25. He was 75.

  Born on July 14, 1936 in Los Angeles, Kellner earned his degree in broadcast at Los Angeles City College and landed his first radio job in Banning (Riverside County). From there he moved to radio stations in Kingman, Ariz. and Grand Junction, Colo., before being drafted into the Army.  He served from 1960 to 1962, including a tour in Korea.

  Following his honorable discharge from Army service, he moved to Hawaii in 1962.  There, Kellner started as a radio disc jockey and then his career expanded into news. He also worked for the governor of Hawaii as director of the Office of Information and Youth Affairs for a short time and later became a television newsman.

  Kellner was a supporter of the Humane Society and loved dogs.  He had many Sonoma friends who met him at local dog parks, which he frequently visited with Sadie, his golden retriever.

  There is no formal funeral service planned in Sonoma for Kellner, but several of his local friends are planning a remembrance at Vintage House, 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11. The family requests donations to either Vintage House or Pets Lifeline, in lieu of flowers.

According to an article in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Kellner is survived by wife Tomeko “Tommie”; sister, Barbara Lipow; son, James “Aki” Peters; daughter, Betty P. Santos; and grandsons, Jordan Santos, Dallas Santos, Wayne Santos, Jason Peters and Jeffrey Peters.