Courtesy Dallas Morning News

(December 3, 2009) Ralph "Buddy" Widman Jr. had a long media career that included an array of positions from production to management, but he may be best known to sports fans for his years of play-by-play announcing with WFAA-AM radio.

He was the station's sports director after World War II and called events from boxing to Southwest Conference football. He also had a weekly Saturday Sports Review program.

Mr. Widman, 90, died Nov. 17 at Green Oaks Nursing Home in Arlington of complications from vascular surgery he had in May.

A memorial was Wednesday at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Arlington, where his ashes will be placed in the columbarium.

"He was easy going," said former WFAA colleague Clarence Bruyere of Dallas. "He was a prince of a guy to work with. I really admired the fella."

Mr. Widman was manager of the WFAA recording studio when he worked with Mr. Bruyere.

During his time as a sportscaster, Mr. Widman covered everything from golf to football, including many Southern Methodist University gridiron contests.

He did broadcasts – many with Tom Vandergriff – of Arlington State College football, including the team's 1956 win in the Junior Rose Bowl.

"They called him one of the premier sports voices in the '40s, '50s, and '60s," said his son, Ralph V. Widman III of Seattle. "He managed to get along with everybody. He interviewed a lot of famous people – coaches and players.

"He was friends with everybody he worked with."

Mr. Widman was born in Cleburne, where his father was general foreman of the Santa Fe Railway roundhouse. He played football and was on the track team at Cleburne High School, where he graduated in 1937.

In 1938-39, he played football at North Texas Agricultural College, a junior college that eventually became the University of Texas at Arlington.

During World War II, Mr. Widman served in the Army Air Forces as a radio operator for the 3rd Combat Cargo Group in the China-Burma-India theater.

His decorations included the Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf Clusters.

After the war, Mr. Widman married Frankie Lee Riddel of Fort Worth. She died in 2003.

Mr. Widman received a bachelor's degree in speech from Texas Christian University in 1947 and started his radio career in Fort Worth. In 1948, he joined WFAA, where his on-the-air duties included serving as an announcer, newscaster and sportscaster.

In 1958, he became general manager of KBCS-AM, now KKDA-AM, in Grand Prairie.

From 1959 to 1968, he worked for advertising agencies before becoming a partner in Busby, Finch, Lathom and Widman.

He remained active and continued to broadcast UTA football until the late 1970s, his son said.

Mr. Widman was a member of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Arlington, where he had served as senior warden and as a member of the vestry.

He had also been active in Arlington, where he had served on the Park Board, as chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission and with the Arlington Park Corp. He had also served on the board of directors for Dallas Junior Achievement.

In addition to his son, Mr. Widman is survived by a sister, Rosemary Widman Blackney, of Sarasota, Fla.

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