Val Lane – July 18, 2025
Val Lane
1957 – 2025
In Nebraska, when something broke, it was often Val Lane who was called to get everything back on the air. Val passed away on July 18, 2025 in Kearney, NE.
Val A. Lane
June 18, 1957 – July 18, 2025
Son of Paul and Leona (Ring) Lane, Val was born in Valentine, Nebraska and grew up in Ainsworth, Nebraska before moving to Kearney.
Val graduated in 1975 from Kearney High School. In high school, he loved photography and developing film. After graduation, he worked for Stanal Sound Company as a sound engineer, travelling and touring around the world with various music artists.
In 1979, Val married Sherry (Espenhover) on September 8th, 1979, in Kearney. They had two children, Jennifer and Brian.
Val and Sherry opened their own television repair business, Comstock TV, later becoming Central Electronics in Kearney. Early on, they also owned and operated Black Rose Disco. Eventually, Val focused on broadcasting and was employed by Waitt Radio as a radio engineer. More recently, he has been active as a contract engineer servicing radio and television stations across Nebraska.
Val’s colleague Bart Jones said, “Val Lane was a great man, and a fine audio and RF engineer. Everyone loved Val. He always had a laid-back attitude and a smile on his face. Nothing was that big of a deal; he could just fix it. The transmitter blew up? He had some parts to get it back on the air. Console blew up? He could wire your automation system directly to your processor so you could stay on the air while getting a new console installed. The tower fell over? Wow! That’s extreme, but it happens, and he already had a plan to get you back on the air at low power from a neighbor’s tower until yours can be rebuilt.
“His whole attitude was that any problem can be solved. Just smile, and work on it one piece at a time.”
Val’s dedication to his work was recognized by the Nebraska Broadcaster’s Association, which inducted him into their Hall of Fame in August of 2023.
A private pilot, Val enjoyed flying airplanes and even pursued building his own Velocity airplane. He was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association. When not in the air himself, Val loved to fly his drone and ride his motorcycle with his wife.
Val is survived by his mother, Leona Lane; wife, Sherry Lane of Kearney; daughter, Jennifer (John) Ryan of Ansley; son, Brian (Roxy) Lane; grandchild Ava Lane; brother, Kevin Lane of Pearblossom, California; sister, Julie (Monte) Arnold of Miller; sisters-in-law, Jackie (Mike) Carpenter of Gilmore City, IA and Deb (Keith) Smith of Kearney; as well as an extended family of many nieces, nephews and other relatives.
A video was made for his 2023 induction into the Nebraska Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Jones recalls, “Val and I collaborated on many tower and antenna projects in Kansas and Nebraska over the last 25 years or so. He will be missed by many.”
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We wish to sincerely thank Bart Jones for his kind help in putting this memory of Val Lane together.
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