Don Allen Uker

The master of ceremonies put down his microphone for the last time and the lights went down on the final show for Don Uker. Born in Chicago, IL on September 28,1934, he died at peace on July 6, 2026, at home in Denison, IA. Don led a life full of adventures, friendships, and lots of laughs.

Don graduated from Iowa State University and earned a degree in Radio and Television communication in 1957, a relatively new major at the time. While in college he met and married Constance Leonard. Following college Don served in the United States Army for two years, stationed in France where he trained and served as a combat photographer. Photography remained a favorite hobby throughout his life.

Don enjoyed his two careers in broadcasting and public speaking so much that they didn’t feel like “work” to him. While a broadcaster, he worked at WOI-FM, KASI-AM, and WOI-TV in Ames, IA; KMTV in Omaha, NE; KBTV in Denver, CO; and KDSN in Denison, IA. At KDSN, he did every job from reading the news, writing and recording ads, playing music, and checking the weather station and rose to General Manager and full partner with Walt Morrison. He created shows like Saturday morning Storytime and the Trading Post. Knowing nothing about polka music when he started working at KDSN in his early 20s, he quickly learned "no matter what your mood, when you were locked in a small room with a microphone and playing polka music for an hour, when you came out of that room, you were in a much better mood.” Don enjoyed music throughout his life, often singing or whistling while he worked.

Through his work at the radio station and later in life, Don broadcast play-by-play for high school sports events, including approximately five thousand basketball games. He was a public address announcer for the Iowa Boys High School State Basketball Tournament in DesMoines for over 25 years. Don’s iconic line “It’sssssssss tiiiiiiime for basketball!” echoed around the state of Iowa each March.

After retiring from the radio station, Don had a second career as a professional public speaker for conventions, organizations, businesses, and colleges. He enjoyed filling the pulpit at local churches, giving commencement addresses, and serving as the master of ceremonies whenever asked. Don was a master storyteller and could turn even mundane events into great adventures. Through his careers, Don enjoyed mentoring young people and opening doors for others.

Don was civic-minded and gave generously of his time to his community, county, and state. He served his communities through numerous organizations including the Denison Chamber of Commerce and the Crawford County Fair Association, the Broadcast Advisory Committee at Iowa Central Community College, the Iowa Broadcasters Association and the Iowa Radio Network and served on the boards of local banks, Eventide Senior Living Community, Crawford County Industrial Development Corporation, Western Iowa Tech Community College Foundation, and the Donna Reed Foundation which he participated in bringing to and thriving in Denison.

In “retirement” Don continued to create and contribute to his communities, writing and performing shows, organizing community activities, broadcasting basketball games for Central Arizona College, and writing nine books.

Don had a natural sense of fun and loved telling jokes. Through his life, he made his own fun from inventing his own games in childhood, dressing up as an adult at Halloween to reverse trick-or-treat, welcoming arrivals at the airport with funny signs, organizing adventure trips for friends, and founding the National Association of Public Address Announcers of America. He loved writing and putting on shows and bringing a smile to others’ faces. Don would lighten any situation with his ability to connect with others through humor.

Don gained satisfaction from accomplishing things that no one thought he could do. He often brought his friends along on these adventures. When he had an idea, he made it come to life. Don knew himself and stayed true to who he was. His feelings ran deep and he brought passion to everything he did. He cared deeply for others and showed up for others in pain. Don cherished his friends. He hosted an annual oyster stew lunch where he let each friend know how much he loved them. He loved staying in touch and often said he had the best friends in the world.

Don experienced heartbreak when preceded in death by his son, Kevin, his wife, Coni, and his parents Verne and Ollie Uker. He is survived by his partner, Phyllis; daughters Kimberly and husband Michael Blunk and Kerry and husband John Philips; sister, Dorothy (Don) Hall; grandchildren, Brittany Blunk, Collin Blunk, Maxwell Philips, Kinsey Philips, and Kate Philips; and great grandchildren Juniper Jensen, Bridger Blunk, Whitney Blunk, and Harrison Philips.

Don’s life prepared him well for his encounter with St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, though he made sure to nail down the spellings of some extra tricky words in case he needed it to get in!

A memorial service will be held on August 16th at 3:30pm at the First United Methodist Church in Denison, Iowa, followed by supper.