Walt Wurfel, Senior VP of Communications at NAB from 1986-1997, died on Thursday at The Kensington, a Falls Church, VA assisted living facility, where he had been living for the last year and a half. He was 81.
“Walt was a good soul and a gentle man, and was a great mentor to those who worked for and with him,” said NAB EVP Communications Dennis Wharton. Before coming to the NAB, Wurfel worked at Carter White House as deputy press secretary under Jody Powell. He was also a reporter at the Washington Evening Star and the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times, where he met his future wife, Sara Fitzgerald, a journalist and author formerly with news outlets such as the National Journal and The Washington Post.
Earlier in his career, Wurfel was part-owner of WXGM-AM/FM in Gloucester, VA. He was also a ham radio operator using the call sign W4ZPQ. After leaving NAB, Wurfel built a golf course in Palmyra, VA.
There will be a memorial service on December 22 at 1 p.m. at Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ in Arlington, VA. He is survived by his wife of 43 years.
December 4, 2018
