Obituaries
'Menards Guy' Ray Szmanda Dies
The broadcaster spent more than two decades as the familiar image of the home improvement retail chain.
ANTIGO, WI – Ray Szmanda, the lovable pitchman for the Eau Claire, Wisconsin-based home improvement Menard Inc. died on Sunday. Consumers most likely will remember him best pitching the retailer, "Save big money at Menards!"
Szmanda's son, Charles Szmanda, announced his death on Facebook on Sunday afternoon. Raymond Jack Szmanda was 91.
"Ray Szmanda was a man who I was proud to call my dad," wrote Charles Szmanda on Facebook. "I'm going to miss him."
Find out what's happening in Milwaukeefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
According to his aptly titled website, MenardsGuy.com, he worked for the retail chain from 1976 to 1998, and made periodic appearances for Menards after 1999. He graduated from the American Institute of the Air; writing classes from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and University of Wisconsin-Madison, according to his biography.
His career included stints in radio and television from 1951 to 1958, and he was a freelance announcer since 1958. He also operated a broadcast school in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Find out what's happening in Milwaukeefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Szmanda and his wife, Maxine, had four sons and three daughters. Maxine died in 1999 and son, Ray Jr., died in 2002.
Image via YouTube
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.