He was a radio legend in West Virginia. Lacy Neff, the former longtime air personality and PD for WVAQ-FM in Morgantown, has died at a Boston hospital. Neff had been in the hospital since November 2013 after being diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare disease that builds up abnormal proteins in vital organs. The proteins were attacking his heart. His initial diagnosis also included multiple myeloma and he had a heart transplant and stem cell replacement among many other surgeries.
In a story posted to the WVAQ website, West Virginia Radio Corporation Vice President of Operations Hoppy Kercheval said, “I think one of the reasons that he lived so long despite a very serious disease is he was just so full of life. He embraced every day. He found the joy in anything he did. He brought that gift, not only to the listeners, but to his fellow workers, his friends and frankly just people he met casually.”
Neff was first hired at WVAQ-FM as the nighttime DJ in 1987. Neff won two NAB Marconi Awards for “Small Market Personality of the Year.” From 2003 to 2007, the West Virginia Broadcasters Association named Neff “Best On-Air Personality.” In 2014, Neff was inducted into the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
