Donald “Sandy Beach” Pesola Obituary: WBEN Radio Host and Devoted Family Man Passes at 86
Buffalo has lost one of the most beloved voices in its broadcasting history. Sandy Beach, born Donald Pesola, died on August 17, 2026, following a short illness. He was 86 years old.
Beach spent more than five decades on the air, becoming a household name across Western New York. He was known for a booming voice, sharp humor, and a genuine connection with the people who listened to him every day. His longtime radio introduction summed him up perfectly: bigger than life and twice as loud.
From Massachusetts Roots to Buffalo Radio Royalty
Beach was born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, and attended Lunenburg High School before studying at the Leland Powers School of Radio, Television and Theatre, graduating in 1961.
His broadcasting career began at WSPR in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he once used the name Jack Diamond to place a memorable on-air call to George Harrison during the height of Beatlemania.
He moved to WDRC in Hartford, Connecticut, in January 1964 before arriving in Buffalo in June 1968 to join WKBW Radio, then one of the most powerful stations in the country. Over the following years, he worked nearly every shift at WKBW, later becoming the station’s program director.
His career also took him through stations in Fort Worth, San Francisco, Erie, and Milwaukee, along with programming roles at NBC and Capital Cities/ABC.
Beach returned to Buffalo airwaves multiple times throughout his career, hosting morning shows before eventually landing at WBEN in 1997. That move began the longest and most defining chapter of his broadcasting life.
He hosted Beach and Company for 18 years in afternoon drive before the show shifted to midmornings in 2014. In total, he spent 23 years at WBEN, staying on the air until his retirement on July 30, 2020.
A Career Built on Recognition and Community
Beach’s talent earned him three nominations for Billboard magazine’s Personality of the Year. He was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2003, honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, and inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2017.
Outside of radio, Beach was known for his love of cars, having owned more than a hundred over his lifetime, and for leading listeners on international travel adventures during his final years at WBEN. He was also a devoted pet owner, most recently to his animals Ethel and Anya.
He is survived by his wife, Bernadette; his stepdaughter Kim and her husband Donald; his grandson Caleb; his brother-in-law Flo; and the countless friends, colleagues, and listeners he connected with over the decades.
A visitation will be held on September 1, 2026, from 1 to 8 p.m. at Perna, Dengler, Roberts Funeral Home in Williamsville, New York.
A Mass of Christian Burial will follow on September 2, 2026, at 10 a.m. at St. Gregory the Great RC Church, with a livestream available for those unable to attend in person.
