On The Dial | In Memoriam | October 30, 2026
Jerome “YoJ” Ronquillo spent more than three decades helping Houston laugh, turning ordinary moments into entertainment and becoming part of the personality of one of America’s great radio cities. On Thursday, October 29, that remarkable journey came to an end when Ronquillo died at the age of 57, leaving behind a grieving family, heartbroken friends, generations of colleagues, and listeners who knew that whenever YoJ was involved, something memorable was probably about to happen. His death is a devastating loss for the people who knew him personally and for the broadcasting community that watched him build a career at 104.1 KRBE.
Fifty-seven years old.
That number is difficult to accept.
Especially when you’re talking about somebody who spent so much of his life making other people feel good.
More Than Three Decades of Houston Radio
Ronquillo began his career at KRBE in 1994, becoming part of the station during an era when personality radio was a central part of how listeners connected with their favorite stations.
Over the years, YoJ worked in several capacities, including on-air appearances, club broadcasts, commercial production, and eventually as the station’s production director.
His career wasn’t defined by a single daypart or one particular assignment.
He was part of the station’s personality, creativity, and everyday operations.
And anyone who has spent serious time in broadcasting understands how important those people become.
The production director is often the person everybody needs, frequently at the exact same moment.
Sales needs a commercial.
Programming needs imaging.
Promotions needs an announcement.
The morning show needs something produced immediately.
And somebody inevitably walks into the production room at 4:55 on Friday afternoon with a request that begins, “This should only take you a minute.”
Thirty years of that would test the patience of a saint.
But colleagues remember YoJ for his humor, warmth, and ability to make people laugh.
That’s a wonderful thing to be remembered for.
Not simply what you produced.
Not merely which microphone you used.
But how people felt when they were around you.
He Was Still Finding Ways to Make People Smile
Earlier this year, Ronquillo was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
He faced that diagnosis while continuing to make the most of the time and opportunities in front of him.
One particularly meaningful moment came when he fulfilled a personal dream by performing a sold-out stand-up comedy show at the Houston Improv.
Think about that.
A man who had spent years entertaining people through radio stepped onto a comedy stage and pursued something he wanted to experience for himself.
Not because he needed another line on his résumé.
Not because he needed another audience to impress.
But because life is about more than the things we do for a paycheck.
It’s also about the things we dream of doing while we still have the opportunity.
Houston recognized him as well, with the mayor’s office declaring September 17 YoJ Day.
What a beautiful thing.
A city taking time to recognize somebody who had spent so many years helping make that city a little more entertaining.
And what a reminder that appreciation means so much more when people are still here to receive it.
The People Behind the Microphone Matter
I’ve spent much of my life in radio, and the older I get, the more I find myself thinking about the people we’ve worked alongside.
The personalities.
The producers.
The engineers.
The programmers.
The salespeople.
The people who stayed late to help somebody finish a project.
The people who could make a difficult day bearable with one ridiculous observation.
The people who somehow became part of our lives without any of us realizing how important they were becoming.
Radio is an unusual business because the relationships don’t always end when the shift does.
We work together through holidays, format changes, ownership transitions, ratings battles, technical emergencies, and all the other madness that comes with keeping a station running.
And somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, coworkers become friends.
Friends become family.
That’s why a loss like this hits so hard.
When somebody who has been part of a station for more than thirty years is suddenly gone, you don’t simply replace that person on an organizational chart.
You feel the absence in the hallways.
In the production room.
In the conversations that no longer happen.
In the jokes nobody else would have thought to make.
And in the memories that suddenly become more precious than anyone ever imagined.
A microphone can be replaced. A production studio can be rebuilt. But you cannot replace thirty years of somebody being part of your life.
Houston Is Remembering Its Friend
Following Ronquillo’s death, KRBE began honoring him on the air, with colleagues sharing memories of the man they knew as YoJ.
Friends and coworkers have recalled his humor, personality, love of University of Houston sports, and even his talent for smoking ribs.
That last detail might sound small to somebody outside the radio family.
But it isn’t.
Those are the things that make a person real.
The conversations about sports.
The food somebody brought to the station.
The jokes exchanged when nobody was recording.
The memories that have absolutely nothing to do with ratings and everything to do with friendship.
Those are the moments people hold on to.
And as Houston remembers YoJ, I hope those stories continue to be told.
Because his life was bigger than his job.
His career was remarkable, but the relationships he built were even more important.
Don’t Wait Until the Microphone Goes Silent
I want to say something to everybody reading this who works in broadcasting.
Call somebody.
That old coworker you haven’t spoken with in years.
That production director who bailed you out of a disaster.
That program director who gave you your first real opportunity.
That morning-show partner who made you laugh so hard you couldn’t get through the next break.
That engineer who showed up at two in the morning when the transmitter decided it was taking a personal day.
Call them.
Tell them you appreciate them.
Tell them they mattered.
And if somebody has made a difference in your life, don’t wait until you’re writing a memorial to say it.
Give people their flowers while they can still smell them, and give them their applause while they can still hear it.
Radio has lost too many good people over the years.
Every loss is a reminder that the relationships we build are worth more than the business cards we exchange.
A Final Word for YoJ
To Jerome Ronquillo’s wife, family, friends, and the entire KRBE family, On The Dial extends its deepest condolences.
There is no clever radio phrase that makes losing somebody at 57 any easier.
No perfect song.
No beautifully produced tribute.
No combination of words that removes the pain of knowing somebody you love isn’t coming back.
But there is comfort in knowing that a life mattered.
And YoJ’s life mattered.
He spent decades entertaining Houston, helping create the sound of a major-market radio station, and making memories with the people who worked alongside him.
He made people laugh.
He pursued his dreams.
He left behind stories worth telling.
And now those who knew him have the privilege, and the responsibility, of keeping those memories alive.
For those of us who believe in the promises of Scripture, Psalm 34:18 offers comfort during moments like this:
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.”
Today, Houston radio has a broken heart.
But I hope that somewhere between the tears, the stories, and the laughter that will undoubtedly come when people begin remembering YoJ, his family and friends find some measure of peace.
Jerome “YoJ” Ronquillo was 57 years old.
His life was far too short.
His impact was anything but small.
Rest peacefully, YoJ. Houston heard your voice for more than thirty years. Now it’s our turn to make sure your story continues to be heard.
From all of us at On The Dial, our prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to Jerome’s family, friends, colleagues, and the entire Houston broadcasting community. May the memories bring laughter, may the love bring comfort, and may his legacy remind us all to cherish the people who make this business so special.
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