With a more than 30-year radio broadcasting career — 28 of those years based in Valparaiso — media personality Steve Zana was a known name, recognizable voice and noted identity.
He devoted a quarter of a century as the early morning radio show host for WLJE Indiana 105, with station and studios anchored in Valparaiso and boasting a broadcast listenership spanning “from South Bend to Chicago.” He frequently donated his time and talents as an emcee for charity events or spent weekends on stage starring in local theater productions — almost always with his devoted wife Colleen at his side.
Steve Zana, 63, died Friday, Aug. 30 after a brave fight with stage four lung cancer.
After a five-day hospital stay in early July 2024, just a day after his birthday, it was on July 12 when Steve released a video via social media. Both optimistic and confident, though tinged with brief moments of tears and emotion, he announced the diagnosis and his plans to aggressively counter the cancer with radiation. A second social media video on Aug. 5 described a new pill at a cost of $500 a day and a port implanted for chemotherapy treatments four days a week.
I worked with Steve, and learned from him, for two years, back when I was a twice-a-week contributor in 2003 and 2004 to his morning radio show providing entertainment reports and filling in for him as a guest co-host on holidays and vacation days.
Over the years, my columns often included his name, and that of wife Colleen, both a frequent presence on the social scene of Northwest Indiana and Chicago. Steve always stayed busy, and he continued working with radio hosting duties, including a temporary move to the afternoon host shift, until just two weeks ago.
Steve was also a successful entrepreneur with his own businesses and investments.
He owned a wedding and party DJ service, and invented, sold and marketed his own line of Louisiana hot sauce as a nod to his roots in New Orleans. Longtime listeners will recall he was the national commercial radio spokesman for a natural weight loss supplement called Ultra 90. Within months, he touted to his radio listeners in 2004 that his 6-foot-four-inch body frame had shed 80 pounds, from a weight of 300 down to 220 and a goal weight of 200.
His most recent venture with Colleen, who he married in August 2000, was the March 2024 launch of The Artist Guild and Gallery in Valparaiso. Steve was also originally the producer and lead actor cast as the title character in a new production of “The Man Who Came to Dinner” for a Hammond stage run last month to be directed by wife Colleen. The couple parted ways from the production after Steve’s health concerns escalated in July.
Born July 11, 1961, in Independence, Louisiana to George S. and Barbara (Laird) Zana, Sr., Steve graduated from the International High School in Brussels, Belgium, and received a B.A. in Communications from Southeast Louisiana University. He interviewed and accepted the coveted morning drive personality host opportunity for WLJE radio, then owned by Radio One Communications, in 1996 and was personally selected by the station’s owners, Len Ellis and his son Leigh Ellis.
Steve’s love of the stage led to his association with South Bend Civic Theater, Firehouse Theater and Chicago Street Theater before founding the Valparaiso Theatrical Company, and he was a stalwart voice for the preservation of Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso.
Steve and Colleen, as well as Colleen’s mom, were all featured in my published cookbooks, with Steve always reminding “recipes are only a suggestion, since you should always adlib while cooking.”
In addition to wife Colleen (nee Cole), he is survived by their sons Christopher (Kelly) Cole of Champaign, Illinois, and Patrick Johnson of Westfield, Indiana, along with Steve’s mother, Barbara Zana of Granger, Indiana, and Steve’s sister Elizabeth Zana, also of Granger, and brother, Wm. “Bill” (Agata) Zana of Alexandria, Virginia, and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father.
Following cremation at Angelcrest Crematory, a private family celebration of Steve’s life will be held.
When Colleen contacted me Saturday afternoon with the news of Steve’s passing, she wrote me: “I’ve yet to announce to anyone yet that Steve passed yesterday. But I thought I’d let you know Phil. There won’t be a funeral because Steve didn’t want a sad affair. I think we will do a later remembrance, perhaps July next year, to include fireworks. Steve would love that. I myself am devastated. My best friend is gone.”
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org.
