FORT WAYNE - Christopher Larko, 51, died Feb. 19, 2010, after an 11-month battle with cancer.
He was born May 30, 1958, in Fort Wayne, to Arthur Lawrence and Roberta Louise Brodbeck Larko.
He was founder and president of Larko Communications Inc., which owns WMYQ-FM 101.1 and WBZQ-AM 1300. He began his radio career at 15, working for area stations including WLYV, WAFX, WLKI, WHUZ and WAJI, as well as stations in Wheeling, W. Va., and Fort Walton Beach, Fla. While at WAFX in 1984, he produced and engineered a Peabody Award-winning radio documentary titled "D-Day: 40 Years Later".
In the 1980s he owned and operated a popular mobile DJ business, Dancemusic, and established Audio Masters and Chris Larko Productions, which provided audio production services to area and national businesses and advertising agencies. In addition, he often advised radio stations throughout Michigan and Indiana on issues of engineering and programming.
In 1992, he obtained the license for a newly-allocated frequency and went on the air with Q101 (originally WLZQ-FM, now My Q101, WMYQ-FM), broadcasting to Kosciusko, Whitley, Wabash and Huntington counties. In 1998, he acquired WBZQ-AM 1300 (Oldies 1300) in Huntington. He signed Oldies 1300 to the Chicago Cubs Radio Network in 2002, as the sole broadcasting affiliate for northeastern Indiana.
Surviving are his fiance, Kelli Richards, Fort Wayne; daughter, Jennifer Larko, Fort Wayne; two half brothers, Lee (and spouse Carolyn) Larko, Georgia, and Beaudine (and spouse Michelle) Larko, Florida; a half sister Teri Larko Rametta, Florida; and his father. He was preceded in death by his mother and grandparents.
Calling is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday with a brief prayer at 2 p.m. at D.O. McComb and Sons Lakeside Park Funeral Home, Fort Wayne, with a graveside service following at Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
