R.I.P.: John Lyon, Longtime D.C. Radio Host

John Lyon (1940-2025)

John Lyon, a beloved WMAL radio host in Washington, D.C., for 22 years, passed away at 85, his family confirmed. 

His career coincided with his family’s private search for answers in the 1975 disappearance of his daughters, Sheila, 12, and Katherine, 10, last seen at Wheaton Plaza, Maryland, during Easter vacation.

“He was a great father and role model,” said his son, Jay Lyon, in a WTOP interview. 

“The reality is still sinking in.”

Known for his cheerful presence on WMAL’s “middle of the road” (later adult contemporary) format, Lyon was a versatile broadcaster. 

“He could sing, entertain, and was a great disc jockey,” said former colleague Tom Gauger in a 2017 WTOP podcast, “The Investigation Continues: Lyon Sisters.” Lyon also performed with his band, The Gross National Product, and often brought his children, and later grandchildren, to WMAL’s studios in Bethesda and Northwest D.C. 

John Lyon's Daughters

“This was his dream job,” Jay said.

In March 1975, Lyon’s life was upended when his daughters vanished, a tragedy that gripped the D.C. area. “It sucked the air out of WMAL and the entire metro area,” recalled former colleague Gary Reals.

Despite the ordeal, Lyon continued his radio career with grace until 1990, when WMAL shifted to a talk format.

In 2017, Lloyd Lee Welch pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree felony murder in the deaths of Sheila and Katherine Lyon in Bedford, Virginia. He is serving a 48-year sentence at Nottoway Correctional Center, though the girls’ bodies were never found. Lyon’s wife, Mary, died in June 2024.

“Living with that notoriety and maintaining his career, I don’t know how he did it,” Jay said.