Remembering Mary Lou Gunn

• We were saddened to learn that Mary Lou Gunn, GM of Lotus Communications’ Fresno group and a longtime radio fixture in California’s Central Valley, passed away on Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 24 after a brief illness, surrounded by her daughters.

A statement from Lotus Communications Corp. reads, in part, “[Mary Lou’s] dedication and commitment have been an integral part of the success and growth of our Fresno market. She will be dearly missed by her team and by so many of us.”

Gunn had been with Lotus Fresno since Feb. 2018. Before that she spent eight years as Market Manager of Alpha Media’s in Bakersfield cluster. A 1976 graduate of Cal State Fresno, Ms. Gunn previously served as GM of Buckley Broadcasting’s Bakersfield group and spent 15 years as VP/Director of Sales for Univision Radio.

The Lotus statement continues, “Mary Lou’s extensive knowledge of the broadcasting industry and her role as General Manager of Fresno is well known by many throughout the market. She had close to 40 years of experience in broadcasting, having worked for several large broadcasting companies before joining Lotus. She was very active in the Fresno community as a Board Member of the PAL and an active member of the Fresno Rotary. She was deeply respected by all who knew her. Mary Lou was highly respected outside the market as she was in the market by the industry.

“On a personal level, we enjoyed her sense of humor and her tell-it-like-it-is attitude. She left an lasting impression on everyone she met. She had a great love of animals, and it was her desire after she retired to rescue dogs along with her daughter. Mary Lou leaves behind two beloved daughters, and two grandchildren, both under the age of four, as well as her adored canary. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this incredibly difficult time. Services are pending and will be announced by her family at a later time.” [Photo from LinkedIn]