Memories of those who loved San Miguel
By Jesús Ibarra

On this Day of the Dead, Atención remembers some of San Miguel de Allende’s prominent residents who have passed away. Although not all were sanmiguelenses by birth, they all gave their hearts to this city and made a lasting impression on the lives of many. 

Don Manuel Zavala, PPKBZON

Don Manuel Zavala (better known as PPKBZON), founder of radio station XESQ (1290 AM) and outspoken patriarch of San Miguel, lost his battle against cancer on the evening of November 2, 2006.

Don Manuel, 78 at the time of his death, was loved and respected by all of San Miguel for his forthright character and the service he provided to the town and its people. For more than 30 years the radio announcer provided an invaluable space for the community to hear local news and information, find lost objects and, most importantly, send messages to loved ones in the outlying rural villages. His motto, “El que no vive para servir, no sirve para vivir” (He who does not live to serve, does not serve for living) endeared him to all sanmiguelenses, and he truly lived by those words.

José Manuel Zavala Zavala was born on December 10, 1927, on calle San Francisco, in the building that today is home to the local registry office. In 1935, the family moved to Mexico City, where Manuel finished school and discovered the magic of radio, thanks to his uncle. He enrolled in the Instituto Politécnico Nacional to study electrical engineering, but he left school to pursue his passion for writing. Returning to San Miguel, he realized his dream by publishing a newspaper called El Fisgón Anteojudo (The Bespectacled Snoop). In 1955, he married Margarita Ortiz Álvarez, with whom he had six children: Javier, Margarita, Ana María, Manuel, Rosa María and Luisa Fernanda. They established their home at Sollano 4. 

In 1961, Don Manuel began a program of local news on the radio station called “Sucesos, Sucedidos o que Van a Suceder” (Happenings, What Happened or What Will Happen). In 1970, the Zavala family bought the radio station, moved it into Don Manuel’s house at Sollano 4, and changed its name to Radio San Miguel.
 
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