Still in the game
After a lifetime as an engineer, executive, athlete, coach, and community builder, Ron Henthorn stepped behind a microphone in his seventies. Now in his late eighties, “The Wedge” is still calling the action for STSPN.
RON HENTHORN
The man behind the microphone
Ron did not grow up dreaming of a broadcast booth. He simply heard John and Scott calling a game, thought it sounded like fun, and stepped into a new arena. More than a decade later, he is still there.
The current chapter
A familiar voice at Western Conference events, Ron brings a lifetime of competition—and genuine curiosity—to every interview. He asks the question a fan wants answered and never loses sight of the people inside the game.
An unexpected second act
Ron had already lived several full chapters before STSPN: college football standout, Boeing engineer, corporate executive, tennis-club founder, youth coach, father, golfer, and competitive basketball player. Then, in his seventies, the microphone opened another door.
“The remarkable part isn't simply that Ron started late. It's that he is still showing up, still learning names, and still making the game matter.
As Ron remembers it: John and Scott were calling a game. He listened, thought it sounded like a fun thing to do, and decided to give it a try. The rest is history.
Before the microphone
Ron's broadcasting voice was shaped long before his first game. Each earlier chapter gave him a way to understand athletes, coaches, pressure, teamwork, and the value of being prepared.
The engineer
Ron joined Boeing as an engineer and advanced into executive leadership, including Vice President of Boeing Associated Products. He also created the airflow-activated safety device known as the Cooper vane, which prevented the Boeing 727's aft stair from being opened in flight following the D.B. Cooper hijacking.
The athlete
A college All-American football player who passed on professional football for engineering, Ron later played organized basketball into his seventies—and remains an avid golfer today.
The builder
Beginning in 1974, Ron headed the nonprofit effort that became the Issaquah Tennis Club. Ron and his business partner, Barry Owen, later financed the project. In 1977, construction began on four indoor tennis courts and one racquetball court, housed in a hybrid structure with side walls that could open or close. The club also held land for four possible future courts.
The coach & dad
Ron coached both of his children across basketball, soccer, tennis, and baseball. In 1979, Issaquah Parks and Recreation thanked volunteer coach Ron Henthorn by name and listed him with the boys' Kings basketball team—a surviving piece of the public record from one of those seasons.
The long game
A working timeline for the Ron Henthorn archive. Dates and stories will continue to grow as family records, photographs, and Ron's own recollections are added.
The beginning of a life shaped by sport, engineering, family, and community.
A standout football player, Ron chose an engineering future over professional football.
Ron rose from engineering into executive leadership, including Vice President of Boeing Associated Products.
He led the nonprofit effort that became the Issaquah Tennis Club, then helped finance it with business partner Barry Owen.
Contemporary records place him courtside as a volunteer Issaquah youth-basketball coach.
In his seventies, Ron started an entirely new chapter with STSPN.
Now in his late eighties, “The Wedge” remains part of the action—and part of the community.
Help build the living archive
This first draft is the beginning. Family photographs, Boeing records, college football material, broadcast memories, and Ron's own interview will turn the outline into his complete story.
Additional personal and Boeing documentation will be added as the Ron Henthorn archive continues to grow.