Stay active, keep moving.
Roy Justis
Roy Justis said there are two things that have kept him going during his 67 years: Staying active and keeping moving.
"That's easy to say if you have your health," said Justis, former long-time radio host at KXIC 800-AM. "A lot of people, when they get older, think it's their time to relax."
He kept moving when he first started his broadcasting career at the age of 16 in Cedar Falls. Even after majoring in business at the University of Northern Iowa, he remained in radio, eventually landing at KXIC in Iowa City. During his 37 years there as program and news director, he hosted the popular "Roy Justis Morning Show." He retired in March 2006 after a contract dispute with KXIC owner, Clear Channel Communications.
However, during that time, Justis said he stayed active using the talents he had and connections he had made.
"I was fortunate to be blessed with a voice that carried me through," he said. "I got exposed to a lot of people who were movers and shakers."
Four months after his retirement, he became an adjunct professor in the University of Iowa's School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He also does public relations and marketing work with the UI athletic department, interviewing athletes for the department's Web site.
"This way mom and dad can hear them online," he said.
Justis also occasionally picks up vehicles sold at auction, recently driving to Indianapolis. He said his work post-KXIC has kept him going.
"Keeping your mind active keeps you active," Justis said. "I'm not sitting down."
— Rob Daniel
