Farris Edward Rahall

Rahall, Farris Edward, 90, of St. Petersburg, died Wednesday May 24, 2006 at St. Anthony?s Hospital. Born in Beckley, West Virginia, his family first came to St. Petersburg in 1929 and maintained a winter residence. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley, WV in 1935 and Carnegie Mellon University ? Industrial Engineer- in 1939. During WWII, he worked for GM on design of the B-29 Fuselage section. The day the war ended he hired attorneys and engineers to file FCC radio applications for six cities. In 1947, he and his brothers started three radio stations: WWNR in Beckley, WKAP in Allentown, PA, and WNAR in Norristown, PA. Rahall Broadcasting purchased the WTSP radio station in St. Petersburg in 1956 from Mr. Nelson Poynter, owner of the St. Petersburg Times, and changed the call letters to WLCY in 1959. The Rahalls fought a long legal battle for television channel 10. They finally won in the court of appeals against Nelson Poynter. The Rahalls subsequently started WLCY-TV in 1965. Later stations, WFBM AM-FM in Indianapolis were purchased. Radio Station WQTY was purchased in 1962 by the Rahalls and was donated to Jones College of Jacksonville, FL in 1964. In 1968 Rahall Communications Corporation became a public company and he was elected Chairman of the Executive Committee, Vice President and Treasurer. Broadcast operations were in Florida, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio and New Hampshire. After Rahall communications was sold to Gulf Broadcasting in 1978, Farris became a consultant to Gulf United Corporation, the company who bought Rahall Communications. He spent most of the last 25 years investing in land, stocks and starting small companies. Farris established the Rahall Family Sports complex at Shorecrest Preparatory School which was dedicated in 1985 and later rededicated in 2002. The RAHALL COMMUNICATION PROGRAM was established at Eckerd College in 1997. Its purpose is to help students develop effective oral communication skills; teach the fundamental principles of fair, responsible and ethical journalism; and provide practical experience through internships. In addition to offering courses in media ethics, the Rahall Professor of Communication works closely with faculty across the curriculum to provide opportunities for students to develop their speaking skills and with a variety of media firms in the Tampa Bay area to place students on internships in the communication industry. He was very proud of his Lebanese heritage and was able to visit his father?s village of Kefier, Lebanon. His father immigrated to America in 1903 penniless and he became a peddler and later a successful land and property owner. Farris was a very strict man, but had a heart of gold towards helping his fellow man. This was a trait he obtained from his father and through the depression years. He was a Presbyterian and belongs to the First Presbyterian Church in St. Petersburg. He was a devout Christian who tried to teach that nothing can be done without the power of the Lord. He loved the 10 commandments, Lord?s Prayer, and the Apostles? Creed. He was a life member and baptized in the Antiochian Orthodox Church. He loved to go to the Tampa Bay Symphony Orchestra and also liked Big Band and New Orleans Jazz Music. He loved to read publications and to forward interesting articles to his family and friends. He loved math and would help his son or grandchildren anytime he saw the opportunity. He was a very goal oriented person who required results from himself or co-workers. He also stressed the importance of learning about business in college because what ever your career choice a person would have to be able to control their finances. In his spare time he enjoyed golfing, gardening, fishing, hunting and especially spoiling his grandchildren. In 1954, he was appointed by the Secretary of Defense, Charles Wilson, to the Defense Department of Orientation Conference and retired in 1984. He was a member of the National Committee of Foreign Relations Council, the St. Petersburg Rotary Club, Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, the Masons - awarded 50 year membership pin, and Consistory, Shrine - awarded 50 year membership pin, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, the Vinoy Country Club, the Who?s Who in World Business & Finance, member of Tampa Bay Area Committee on U.S. Foreign Relations Council, and the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. He was a former member of the Longboat Key Country Club - Sarasota, Feather Sound Country Club, St. Petersburg, United States Chamber of Commerce, and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce. He was the only broadcaster to receive the Alfred P. Sloan National Safety Award ? 1952. He was Director of the Salvation Army, St. Petersburg from 1968 to the present. He was a former member of the Florida State Advisory Council on Vocational & Technical Education, the Florida State Council, Right to Read, and former Board member of the Small Business Administration, Washington, DC, 1956-1960. Formerly, he was Director of St. Petersburg Junior Achievement, Hoover Commission - Eastern PA, National Director of Hoover Commission for U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce, Director Pennsylvania Junior Chamber of Commerce, Director Red Cross, Philadelphia, PA, Organizer and Director United Fund, Norristown, PA ? 1948, Director YMCA, St. Petersburg, Florida Co-Chairman Finance Committee for Reagan for President - 1980. He served on the National Committee of United Nations Day - 1984. Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Victoria B.; a son, F. Jeffrey Rahall, St. Petersburg; a brother, Sam G. Rahall, St. Petersburg; a sister, Julienne Newey, Jacksonville, FL; three granddaughters: Victoria, Tampa, and Cary and Alexandria both of St. Petersburg; seven nephews, including Congressman Nick Joe Rahall from West Virginia; and five nieces. Anderson-McQueen Funeral & Cremation Centers-NE St. Petersburg.