Longtime KCOW radio man Mike "Muzzy" Garwood passed away Sunday morning, December 16that Box Butte General Hospital after battling health issues for the past 15 months.
Garwood was 58 years old.
Garwood was born at St. Joseph's Hospital in Alliance on August 18, 1949 to Max and Gretchen Garwood.
He graduated from Alliance High School in 1967.
Mike was a Vietnam War Veteran. He served in the United States Army between 1970 and 1972 as a Specialist Fifth Class.
A tragic diving accident in Florida in October, 1973 resulted in paralysis and the daunting task of Garwood spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
Following rehabilitation, Garwood chose the broadcast profession and graduated from the Elkins Institute of Broadcasting, Denver, Colorado in 1975.
He returned to Alliance, and was hired by KCOW. Over the past 32 years, he worked as an afternoon DJ from 1975 to 1981, the station's promotion director from 1981 to 1985, operations manager from 1986 to 1988 and as General Manager from 1988 to 2007.
During those 32 years, KCOW added an FM station in Alliance in 1985 and another FM station in Chadron in 1991, forming Double Q Country. The stations also launched two web sites, www.doubleqcountry.com in 2002 and www.kcowradio.com in 2007.
When Garwood was honored with the Crystal Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Associated Press in Grand Island on April 1, 2006, it was said during the ceremony; "Mike Garwood doesn't view KCOW radio as a service to the community, he views it as a ministry."
Garwood served his community well. As well as overseeing the continued tradition of KCOW's community involvement, Garwood served on the Alliance City Council from 1976 to 1984, including four years as Mayor. He was a member of the Alliance Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for six years, and served as the organization's President in 1991.
He was the Chamber's Business Person of the Year in 1997.
Under Garwood's leadership, KCOW Radio was named the Alliance Chamber Business of the Year in 2004 and as the Hemingford Chamber of Commerce's Business of the Century in 2000.
Mike was a huge fan of the Alliance Bulldogs, Nebraska Cornhuskers and Chadron State Eagles.
Survivors include:
Parents: Max and Gretchen Garwood
Sister: Janet (Alan) Joslin, Chanhassen, MN
Brothers: Roger (Mary) Garwood, Scottsbluff, NE
Tim ( Shannon) Garwood, Alliance, NE
Nephew: Shaun Garwood, Westminster, CO
Nieces: Stephanie Garwood, Scottsbluff, NE; Jennifer Garwood, Chanhassen, MN; Kelly Garwood and Erin Garwood, Alliance, NE
Great Niece: Ashlynn Palser, Scottsbluff, NE
Cousin: Jolene McGinnis, Alliance, NE and other aunts, uncles, and cousins
A Memorial service will be held Thursday, December 20th at 2 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church in Alliance. A celebration of life gathering will follow at the Alliance Country Club at 4 p.m.
When Mike was honored with the Handicapped Nebraskan Award 23 years ago, late Alliance Times-Herald publisher Keith Kemper wrote on April 23, 1984 about Garwood: "A lesser man would have thrown in the towel....a lesser family and community would have allowed him to do so.
We at KCOW know he was a man who fought the good fight. And WE would have expected nothing less.
Memorials/Donations: Paralyzed Veterans of America, 7 Mill Brook Road, Wilton, NH 03086; Alliance High School Booster Club, 1604 Sweetwater, Alliance, Nebraska 69301
Condolences may be sent to: Garwood Family, 207 Northpark Estates, Alliance, Nebraska 69301
**Before 2000, KCOW radio signed on at 5 a.m. and signed off at 1 a.m., (today we're 24 hours a day). Througout the 1990's a sign on and sign off announcement was aired daily, which Mike Garwood voiced. Click on the second link below to hear those announcements.
