Former WSLS announcer Mel Linkous passes away

By: Chris Whitley | WSLS 10
Published: July 06, 2009

6:37 p.m.

I spoke with Lee Linkous this afternoon on behalf of the Linkous family. Lee is one of Mel's four children with Vi, his wife of 59 years. The couple also has seven grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren. Lee tells me he believes his father will be remembered most for the genuine way he lived his life, "If you saw my father playing Santa Claus, you would get an essence of the man. He loved it, he relished in it. He enjoyed the looks on the childrens faces. What you saw was what you got. If you needed something, you could call him, and he would do what he could to help you".
Lee says his father began feeling ill last Sunday. On Thursday, Mel Linkous was taken to the hospital where he was treated for pneumonia. They say he passed away in the early morning hours Monday. Linkous was 87 years old.
Our thoughts are with the Linkous family during this tough time, and we appreciate Mel's many years of dedicated work at WSLS.

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12:00 p.m.

A member of the WSLS family has passed away.

Mel Linkous, former radio and TV announcer died early Monday morning according to his son. He was 87-years-old. Linkous passed away at the Salem VA Hospital.

Linkous began his career with WSLS in June of 1942, when WSLS was just a radio station. He was called to active duty to fight in World War II later that year, and later returned to WSLS in 1945.

Linkous will be remembered by many as an announcer, but he also served as program director, operations manager, TV host, and santa claus for WSLS when we transitioned into a TV station.

While in the Army, Linkous fought in the invasion of France. His group landed the day after D-Day. Linkous received the purple heart, bronze star, and a combat infantry badge while in the Army. Linkous was honorably discharged in 1945.

Linkous was born on December 11, 1921 in Cambria. He attended Melrose Elementary Schools, Monroe Jr. High, Jefferson High School, and Roanoke College. Linkous graduated with a Bachelor's in English with a Political Science major, and minors in History, Spanish, and French.