Terry Zahn's time on television in Hawaii might have been brief, but his accomplishments in his fight against cancer have had lasting impact. Today his widow, Jean Takehara Zahn, a Roosevelt graduate, has kept his memory alive while raising money to help find a cure for cancer, which took her husband's life at the age of 53, 10 years ago last month.

Born in 1946, Terry Zahn grew up in Milwaukee. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a double major in radio-television and sociology. After college he entered the Navy, graduating from the Defense Information School with honors, later serving as a public affairs officer.

“;Terry's plan was to go to Third World countries and build radio and television stations for them,”; Jean said.

After working for radio and TV stations in Wisconsin, he became a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Hawaii in 1973. He and Jean met, while she was taking education graduate courses.

In 1974 Zahn earned a master's degree in broadcasting from UH. He was hired by KITV as a reporter and anchor. “;Terry was one of the nicest people you could ever meet,”; said then-co-worker Don Rockwell.

In 1975 KITV's management decided to fill their news staff primarily with local talent, and Zahn and others were let go.

“;Terry would always say that an anchor was not worth his salt unless he or she had been fired at least once during their career,”; Jean said.

Zahn went back to teaching, this time at Leeward Community College, where he helped build a radio/TV studio.

IN 1977 Zahn moved back to the mainland, where he reported and anchored for TV stations in several states before landing in Hampton Roads, Va., in 1981. In 1997, while anchoring for WVEC there, he was diagnosed with the bone marrow cancer multiple myeloma.

Cancer has affected many of Jean's relatives. “;Terry got involved with the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life because of his mother's battle with lymphoma,”; Jean said. “;She traveled from Wisconsin every year for 10 years to sell her crafts at the WVEC-TV tent to raise donations for Relay.

“;Sadly, after being in remission for 10 years, her cancer came back after we lost Terry,”; said Jean, whose father, Warren Takehara, also died of cancer in 1997. Her mother, Toshiko, is currently in remission.

Zahn's experience in television helped him produce two national Relay for Life videos, which the American Cancer Society regards as the most successful marketing tools in the history of any nonprofit organization. Before he died, Zahn was inducted in 1999 into the National Relay for Life Hall of Fame. He also rallied for a scholarship program that benefits young cancer survivors going to college for their local ACS division in Virginia. The program was later renamed the Terry Zahn Memorial Scholarship in his honor.

Since her husband's death in 2000, Jean Zahn has kept herself busy at Relay events and makes numerous appearances and speeches nationwide.

“;The fact ACS has wanted me to be his Hall of Fame stand-in all these years is a testimony to the high regard they have for him,”; Jean said.

The next Relay for Life event on Oahu will take place Feb. 19 and 20 at Roosevelt High School. Call the American Cancer Society's Nuuanu office at 595-7500.

A.J. McWhorter, a collector of film and videotape cataloging Hawaii's TV history, has worked as a producer, writer and researcher for both local and national media. His column runs on the first Monday of each month. E-mail him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).