{"id":483069,"date":"2026-11-01T09:52:50","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T09:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/483069\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T09:52:50","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T09:52:50","slug":"longtime-houston-radio-personality-dies-as-krbe-mourns-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/483069\/","title":{"rendered":"Longtime Houston radio personality dies as KRBE mourns loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jerome “YoJ”\u00a0Ronquillo, a longtime Houston radio personality<\/a> whose career at 104.1 KRBE<\/a> began more than three decades ago, died Thursday. He was 57.<\/p>\n

KRBE announced his death Friday, remembering him as “one of the most spectacular, charismatic, and hilarious people that walked our radio station hallways.”<\/p>\n

Ronquillo started his radio career at KRBE<\/a> in 1994. Over the years, his voice reached Houston listeners through on-air shifts, live broadcasts from clubs and commercials. Behind the scenes, coworkers remembered his jokes during meetings, his passion for University of Houston sports and his talent for smoking ribs.<\/p>\n

“YoJ was the life of the party,” KRBE wrote. “His one-line zingers during meetings would make us inappropriately crack up every single time!”<\/p>\n

Listeners also shared their memories beneath the station’s announcement. One recalled listening to\u00a0Ronquillo as a teenager and meeting him at Memorial City Mall<\/a> during a school field trip. Another remembered tuning in during the late 1990s and early 2000s.<\/p>\n

Ronquillo was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Jan. 1, 2026. KRBE did not disclose a cause of death. In March, his friend Paul “Cubby” Bryant launched a GoFundMe<\/a> to help Ronquillo and his wife, Maggie, cover chemotherapy, medications, travel and other medical expenses.<\/p>\n

Chron has reached out to KRBE for additional comment.<\/p>\n

In a Sept. 22 Facebook post<\/a>,\u00a0Ronquillo reflected on his cancer diagnosis and how it changed his outlook on life.<\/p>\n

“I had no choice to make the most of my remaining time,” he wrote. “However long God sees fit.”<\/p>\n

One dream he managed to fulfill was performing stand-up comedy at the Houston\u00a0Improv. Although he had performed stand-up in the 1990s, Ronquillo said he had never taken the stage at such a large venue.<\/p>\n

“One of my bucket list items was to be on stage at the Houston Improv,” he wrote.<\/p>\n

Ronquillo said the show sold out. He also shared that the Houston mayor’s office had issued a proclamation officially declaring Sept. 17 “YoJ Day.”<\/p>\n

More News<\/p>\n

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For the latest and best from Chron, sign up for our daily newsletter here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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