Les Keiter(1919-2009)
- Actor
Les Keiter was born on April 27, 1919. He attended the University of
Washington where he met and married Lila Hamerslough. The couple moved
to Hawaii the year they were married. Their Les Keiter did baseball
re-creations, something that was common in those days. Returning to the
mainland he became one of the most well known sportscasters of
all-time. First with a stop in Modesto, California in the early 50s
where he announced games for the Minor League baseball team 'The
Bee's'. Keiter then moved to New York and announced numerous national
and international sports events for major radio and television networks
including the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball. Between 1956 and
1985 he announced twelve championship heavyweight fights for ABC and
Mutual. He was the sportscaster for both the New York Baseball and
Football Giants from 1954 to 1962 (he was the recreation announcer for
the San Francisco Giants in New York after the Giants left New York for
San Francisco after the 1957 season). He also was the announcer for the
New York Knicks from 1955 to 1962. In 1968 he announced Olympics
coverage (in Mexico City for Mutual). After a stay as a sports director
in Philadelphia (WFIL) in the late 60s Les moved back to his beloved
Hawaii, where he became the sports director at KHON-TV, Channel 2, the
now FOX but then NBC station in Honolulu. From 1971 to 1979 Keiter was
the "Voice of the Islanders", the island's Triple A Professional
Baseball team. Les has appeared in fourteen episodes of Hawaii Five-O,
and picked up the nickname 'The General' as he often portrayed a
high-ranking military officer in some of his Hawaii Five-o appearances.
Was friend of Five-o star Jack Lord and Heavyweight champ Joe Frazier.
He has written an autobiography called "Fifty Years Behind the
Microphone", where on June 6, 1998; it was formally added to the
Special Collection at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New
York. Les is now retired (as of 9/2006) from television and radio and
lives in Kailua, O'Oahu, Hawaii. He keeps involved in the local sports
scene by serving as the media relations coordinator for Aloha Stadium
in Honolulu. Member Honolulu Quarterback Club and inductee into the
Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame and the Big 5 Hall of Fame (Class of 2003).
The Kieters have five children and eight grandchildren.
