Curt Yengst, a radio/TV broadcast engineer who for 17 years was also a contributor to Radio World, died in January. He was 52.
Yengst, a member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, worked for Lighthouse TV/WBPH-60 in Bethlehem/Philadelphia, Pa.
Earlier he had worked The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as an engineer for the daily radio program “Decision Today,” and for Star 99.1 FM WAWZ in Zarephath, N.J.
Yengst leaves his wife Dawn and four children. The couple had celebrated their 25th anniversary in October, which is when the accompanying photo was taken.
“He was buried with a tweaker in his hand,” wrote WBPH Chief Engineer Daniel Huber. According to Dawn Yengst, the small screwdriver was placed by his youngest child, age 10, who would often “borrow” his tools to replace batteries in toys, among other things.
An earlier version of this story reported that Yengst also was buried wearing his SBE pin, but his wife tells Radio World that prior to burial, the pin was saved as a keepsake by their 19-year-old son, who has a technical bent like his father. Curt had been an SBE member since 2008 and held CSRE certification, according to the society.
In lieu of flowers a GoFundMe page has been established for the family.
“Curt was part of the Radio World family,” said Editor in Chief Paul McLane. “It’s so upsetting to have him taken from us, and so suddenly.”
Yengst wrote numerous popular articles in Radio World about his own audio and recording equipment designs, as well as equipment reviews.
According to his obituary, Yengst also was author of the book “Tempus Fugit” and a self-taught musician who wrote, engineered and produced music in his studio, Zerro House Productions.
Yengst earned an associate’s degree from Thomas Edison University. He was an avid videographer who enjoyed recording and producing children’s musical and theater productions, a passionate follower of the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron, and an ordained minister. He attended Cedar Crest Bible Fellowship in Allentown, Pa.
Text has been updated to correct the description of his SBE membership.