Jerry Cesak, a beloved figure in San Diego radio, has passed away at 74, leaving a legacy of humor and compassion. His commitment to animal advocacy endures.
SAN DIEGO — Jerry Cesak, the iconic San Diego radio host from the Jeff and Jer Showgram, has died. He was 74.
He is survived by his wife Pam Cesak and their furry children Winston, Gigi, Savannah and Isabella. Cesak was a life-long animal lover and devoted animal advocate. His family asks in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Rancho Coastal Humane Society, where he served as a board member.
Cesak has spent nearly four decades immersed in the San Diego community, but was born in Maryland and received a theater degree from the University of Maryland. He worked in radio in major cities such as Washington D.C., Baltimore and Minneapolis before he met his longtime radio partner Jeff Detrow in Detroit. The pair would eventually go on to be inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
He says his radio broadcasting career with Detrow was a “short 30-year diversion” away from his time in the theater.
The Jeff and Jer Showgram ran in Chicago and Detroit before making its way to San Diego. Showgram’s hilarious and heartfelt morning show became the most popular show in San Diego’s history and was featured on KFMB’s former FM radio station for 15 years of its near 30-year run. When Cosak announced his retirement in 2015 after 27 years on the San Diego airwaves, he told CBS 8 that it was the chemistry between the hosts and producers that kept the show’s heart beating.
“You cannot explain chemistry. If you could explain chemistry, you could make it happen….and then everybody would have what the six of us have,” he said.
He also told CBS 8 he was going to take on more work for animal advocacy and continue his work for the Humane Society of the United States, where he was a board member at the time. He and his wife would spend the next several years touring the country to raise awareness about animal cruelty.
Cesak said life often comes in chapters, and his final chapter concluded alongside his wife. His final contribution to animal well-being was the money to establish a facility at for free and low-cost medical care for animals at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.
Donations in his Cesak’s name can be made here.