(GRAND HAVEN, MI)-You cannot say one bad thing about him.
Over the weekend, WGHN received word a member of our family passed away.
Paul Withun was 67.
He was the husband of our late matriarch and, honestly, the most important person in the history of WGHN, Leslie Cassis-Withun.
(Somewhere in the stars, she is laughing and saying, “Damn right.”)
For over 30 years, Leslie was our great ambassador.
Through her sales, community involvement, and inimitable way, she wove WGHN into the fabric of this community.
She was headstrong and feisty and cared passionately about this town.
Paul, a son of this city, felt the same way, but his personality balanced Leslie.
She was a mighty storm; he was the harbor in her tempest.
Throughout the years, he assisted WGHN in various projects, including radio auctions and remote broadcasts; he even acted as producer for a few Grand Haven High School Football Coaches Shows when Leslie was under the weather.
Paul often regaled us with his tales of attempting to get a pilot’s license, expounding on barrel rolls, nose dives, and engine stalls without ever showing any nerves or raising his voice for emphasis.
When Leslie passed on July 4th, 2020, Paul kept in touch with us at WGHN.
He would swing by and show us his ’69 Chevelle, talk about his recent retirement from Consumers Energy, or tell us what his son RJ (AKA “Gatsby”) was up to.
His visits kept her spirit alive for both of us.
When WGHN celebrated our 65th anniversary in 2021, we invited Paul to the party because we wanted him to know how much Leslie meant to Grand Haven and us.
As much as she meant to us, what Leslie meant to Paul was beyond words, time, and emotion; a bond that has come full circle.
To RJ (& Ava), Bonnie, Stacy, and Arianna, we here at WGHN bare our hearts to you; whenever you need anything, the door at One South Harbor is always open.
Paul Withun was a good man, a decent man, and he loved his family very much.
And we can’t think of a better epitaph than that.
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