Longtime WMAL radio host John Lyon dies at 85

Longtime WMAL radio host John Lyon dies at 85

Longtime WMAL radio host John Lyon passed away last month at 85 years old. Lyon was the father of Katherine and Sheila Lyon, who disappeared from a Wheaton Shopping Center in 1975.

SILVER SPRING, Md. - John Lyon, 85, passed away on June 26, according to his obituary.

Visitation for Lyon was Monday in Silver Spring. His funeral will be on Tuesday.

Who was John Lyon?:

Lyon was a renowned broadcaster for WMAL radio for 22 years, starting in 1967, according to his son, who spoke with FOX 5 Monday.

Lyon was known around the DMV for his presence on radio.

His son, Joseph, tells FOX 5 he wants his dad’s legacy to be as a man who loved his family, especially his wife of 64 years, Mary Jo. 

Lyon also loved the Chicago Cubs and hockey, serving as a goal judge for the Capitals.  Joseph Lyon tells FOX 5 they watched Game 7 of this year’s Stanley Cup from his hospital bed in the days before Lyon passed away.

Dig deeper:

While family is adamant that be his legacy, many across the globe know him for being the father of Sheila and Katherine Lyon, sisters who vanished from a Wheaton shopping center in 1975. Their bodies were never found.

A Virginia man pleaded guilty to first-degree murder charges in 2017.

Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy tells FOX 5 he admired Lyon, who served as an advocate for crime victims in Montgomery County. Lyon largely stayed out of the spotlight in his decades-long quest for answers.

"I was always struck by the graciousness and the kindness of John and his ability to give back to others, even when he was struggling with what happened to Katie and Sheila," McCarthy said.