Sporting events in Albuquerque will never sound the same again.
Stu Walker, whose booming voice filled WisePies Arena, University Stadium and other venues at UNM as the public address announcer, died Monday after a bout with cancer. He was 61.
Walker worked Lobo games for nearly 20 years, starting with basketball in November 1995 after winning a tryout for the job, according to the UNM Athletics Department. He had also been a disc jockey in Albuquerque and worked at Manzano High School.
In addition to announcing “Here come your Lobos” at UNM games, Walker performed those same duties for the Albuquerque Isotopes, the local Triple-A baseball club, and during high school state championship events.
“We are deeply saddened by Stu Walker’s passing,” said Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs in a statement. “Stu was a tireless worker and loved not just the Lobos, but all of Albuquerque. His voice was instantly recognized by our fans, and he will be sorely missed.”
Monday marked the second loss to Lobo basketball in recent days. Mel Daniels, a former Lobo player who reached the professional ranks of the NBA and ABA, also died last Friday at 71. Daniels played at UNM in the 1960s, earning All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 1966 and 1967.
During Tuesday night’s men’s basketball exhibition against Colorado State-Pueblo, WisePies Arena held a moment of silence for both Daniels and Walker.
Head coach Craig Neal called it an emotionally tough few days for Lobo basketball. He said he learned of Walker’s passing through sports information director Eugene Canal. When he found out, he said, he was shocked.
“You don’t think about it until it’s gone, and it’s just sad. I feel sorry for his wife, and my sympathies go out to his family,” the coach said. “It’s just not easy. I’m thankful every day I drive up to this place and I have the keys to it, but sometimes you don’t appreciate it.”
Neal said he expressed the need to be thankful to his players before the exhibition.
Guard Cullen Neal, Craig Neal’s son, said he grew familiar with Walker’s voice at The Pit in his 10 years in Albuquerque through his dad’s connections as assistant and head coach, and now with his own two years as a Lobo player.
Cullen Neal said he noticed how different WisePies Arena sounded without Walker at the microphone. Bill Torres performed the public address responsibilities during the exhibition.
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“It was pretty emotional for me, because Stu was the first person I’d see walking down the court,” Cullen Neal said. “He’d be ‘Good luck, Cullen,’ give me some praise, give me some compliments. It was emotional to hear about the situation.”
UNM President Bob Frank was in China when news broke of Walker’s passing Monday. He told the Daily Lobo that the University community will miss the man behind the voice so many fans recognized.
“They may not have known his face, but Lobo fans for decades have known and loved his voice,” Frank said in an email. “Stu’s professionalism enhanced the game day experience for all of those attending football, basketball and other athletics events.”
Radio play-by-play announcer Robert Portnoy, who has worked in the Albuquerque media market since 2006, broadcast games from the same press boxes and press rows where Walker did his public address announcing. Portnoy said Walker was a friend who always lit up a room when he walked in and made every event better just because he was there.
As someone who knows the value of a strong audio presence, Portnoy said Walker was one of the best announcers he had met.
“He was special,” he said. “We’ve had people within the last 24 hours asking if there is audio of ‘Here come your Lobos’ the way he used to do it. ... You just can’t duplicate what he had.”
J.R. Oppenheim is the managing editor for the Daily Lobo. Contact him at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @JROppenheim
