HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2025-4654
HR 4654
By Representatives Leavitt, Zahn, Eslick, Dufault, Bronoske, Street, Richards, Ryu, Thai, Parshley, Scott, and Stuebe
WHEREAS, Tony Ventrella served his country, the State of Washington, and his local communities with passion and kindness; and
WHEREAS, He served in the U.S. Army Reserve before chasing his dream of becoming a sportscaster; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Ventrella brought his talents from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Seattle to be a sportscaster at KOMO 4 in 1981 and KING 5 hired him as Sports Director in 1982; and
WHEREAS, For the next 20 years, he was the leading sports anchor in the Seattle market and a fixture in the homes of hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians who watched him every night on the evening news; and
WHEREAS, He played a key role in building Washington's sports community, known for his effectiveness, smile, positive attitude, humor, and wit with segments like the KING 5 "Wrestling Hold of the Week"; and
WHEREAS, In 2004, he joined the Seattle Seahawks as the Digital Media Host and was the on-camera host for the Seattle Sounders; and
WHEREAS, His work behind the scenes to support local businesses and his countless community service activities often went unnoticed or unknown; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his over 40-year career in the media, Mr. Ventrella still found time to speak at nonprofits, schools, churches, and assisted living centers, and volunteer in his community by starting a community theater program, hosting fundraisers, mentoring young people, and staffing the local fruit and produce stand in Newcastle; and
WHEREAS, After four decades in broadcasting and community service, Mr. Ventrella served on the City of Newcastle Community Activities Commission from 2016 to 2019, was elected to the Newcastle City Council in 2020, and served as Deputy Mayor until 2021; and