John D. (J.D.) Kailer

Born April 16, 1921 in San Diego, CA to Joseph and Lillian Hendry Rountree. When J.D. was a baby, his father died and when he was six, he and his mother moved to live with family in Altoona, PA. When his mother married F.S. Kailer in 1935, they moved to Pittsburgh where he graduated from high school. He graduated from the University of Illinois and then entered the service, trained with the first cavalry at Ft. Riley, KS, and served with the 112th Regimental Combat Team (RCI). After landing in New Guinea, J.D. served in the South Pacific until the war ended. In addition, he was a frequent contributor to Yank magazine. J.D. was the recipient of the Bronze Star Medal. After the war he graduated from the University of Missouri's School of Journalism where he met his future wife, Pat Stangebye, a fellow journalism student. They graduated in 1947 and moved to Roswell, NM to join a fellow classmate on the Roswell Morning Dispatch. They married in Roswell in February of 1948 and moved to Albuquerque in January of 1949. J.D. was sports editor of the Albuquerque Journal from 1950 - 1959. Finding himself the only one in the department, he initiated an innovative freelance stringer network, utilizing local high school sports editors to cover their respective schools' games. They earned only 10 cents an inch, but the byline was the real prize. Some familiar names of the one-time stringers are Bob Matteucci, Jim Carroll, Ben Moffett, and lawyer Mike Sutin. "J.D. was an important part of my life. I loved telling people I started my brief journalistic career at 10 cents an inch," said Sutin. Moffett recalls getting his first dime. "More importantly, "I was thrilled with my first byline - so was my mom." Three major assignments during his Journal years were covering the emergence of Lobo basketball fervor under Bob King, reporting the incredible performance of the 1952 Lobo football team, and covering Jim Hulsman's Albuquerque High's stellar basketball teams. J.D. was always an early advocate of women's sports, beginning with Don Flanigan's women's basketball team at El Dorado high school. After the Journal, J.D. moved into sports radio and television, serving as a sports anchor on Channel 13 and later on Channel 7 for several years. Some memorable moments included interviews with Muhammad Ali, Johnny Weissmuller, Jim Ryan. In 1970, he became executive director of UNM's Lobo Club. In 1976, he started a high school sports program business, which he ran until his retirement in 1989. J.D. was active in several organizations including the board of directors for the Albuquerque Boys and Girls Club, a driver for Meals on Wheels, and co-founder and president of the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame (now the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame). He later was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame, as well as the UNM Hall of Honor, and the Albuquerque Isotopes Baseball Hall of Fame for his journalistic work in sports. He was an honorary member of the UNM Alumni Lettermen's Association. Baseball was his first love and he particularly enjoyed attending major league baseball spring training in Arizona, where he interviewed such stars as Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. Another notable interview occurred while visiting his home state- an interview with the late Roberto Clemente, one of his beloved Pittsburgh Pirates. Other fond experiences included playing lead roles in a couple of plays at the Albuquerque Little Theatre. His first appearance was co-starring with Bill Prevetti in "The Tender Trap." J.D. was loyal, empathetic, and generous. He was interested in almost everyone he met. He had the heart of a servant and never failed to ask people, "How can I help you?" When he received help, his response was, "Thank you for your courtesy." J.D's family wishes to thank the staff at Emeritus at the Cottages for their loving care during the last two years of his life. J.D. is survived by his wife Pat, to whom he was married nearly 66 years. He is also survived by son David Kailer and daughter Ann Eversole, both of Albuquerque, and son John Kailer and wife Debby of Pittsburgh, PA, and his six grandchildren: Kelly and Jamie Kailer, Elyse Eversole, and Kristen, Justin, and Katrina Kailer. He was a member of Hope Evangelical Free Church and attended CBS (Christian Bible Studies) at Grace Church. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at 11:00 a.m at Hope Evangelical Free Church, 4710 Juan Tabo NE. A memorial visitation will be held from Thursday, January 16, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at FRENCH - Lomas. J.D. will be buried in the National Cemetery at Santa Fe. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the D.A.V. (Disabled American Veterans), The National Coalition for the Blind, or Hope Evangelical Free Church.