Michael LaBonia, station leader and Iowa PBS co-founder, dies at 89
This obituary was adapted from an obituary on the website of Iles Funeral Homes.
Michael J. LaBonia, a leader of public media stations and co-founder of Iowa PBS, died June 8 in Germantown, Tenn. He was 89.
LaBonia began his career in broadcasting in the late 1950s at KRNT-TV in Des Moines, Iowa, now KCCI. He then became part of the original team that created the Iowa Public Broadcasting Network, now Iowa PBS.
LaBonia later served at WYES-TV in New Orleans from 1979–91, where he rose to the position of president and GM. In 1991, he joined WKNO-TV/FM in Memphis, Tenn., where he served as president and CEO until 2022.
He was born on Sept. 24, 1936, in Des Moines to Santo and Clara LaBonia (née Scaglione). He graduated from Dowling High School in 1954 and later from Drake University in 1958.
LaBonia was a devout Catholic, a proud broadcaster and a man whose work helped shape public media for generations. He will be remembered for his leadership, his dedication and the lasting impact he made on the communities he served.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Patricia F. LaBonia, in 1989. He is survived by his children, Samuel (Jill) LaBonia of Holly Springs, Miss.; Michael (Debra) LaBonia of New Orleans; John (Renee) LaBonia of Weston, Fla.; Robert (Adrienne) LaBonia of Germantown; and Angela (Chris) Susil of West Des Moines, Iowa; his brother, John (Mary Kay) LaBonia of Des Moines, Iowa; 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 15 Indianola Road, Des Moines, Iowa, followed by a Funeral Mass at 12 p.m. Graveside service and burial will follow at Glendale Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to WKNO Public Broadcasting. Online condolences are welcome at www.IlesCares.com.
Mike was one of the amazing guys I’ve ever known. For no reason, no agenda, no gain for himself or his stations – Mike would regularly email and call me with very kind words of appreciation and encouragement for our “My Music” series, now in its 30th year of production. Every year since it started nationally. He just somehow knew I thought of myself as not a music or tv producer/director – but as a fundraising producer/director first and always foremost. And, of course from New Orleans, Mike always kidded me about my life-long fanaticism of “all things Tom Baker and classic Dr. Who” and “Dark Shadows” too, both very big in ‘Nawlins’ public television history. I’ll miss his periodic check-ins and notes of very kind support and encouragement. One of the system’s really nice guys (though I never worked with or for him) he just somehow knew how I saw the important role of on-air fundraising and individual giving and was always there with a kind word – for no reason as to when and why’d he’d reach out. Rest well my pal.
The saying on Mike’s wall at Iowa PBS was a favorite of mine. It read “The road to bad programming is paved with good intentions.”
It was in the early days of starting to build the state network and many “advisors” had a “great idea that would be the answer to success.