‘Jacket for Life’ Art Dlugach dies at 82
Art Dlugach, 82, died on March 26. He was a local legend, known for his passion for Llano High School sports and his reporting on Yellowjackets athletics. Courtesy photo
Art Dlugach died at 82 years old on March 26, 2026. He was an Emmy Award-winning sports producer with decades of experience across the country in journalism, but locally he was known as a diehard fan of Llano High School sports, having spent over 25 years reporting on Yellowjackets athletics.
Dlugach had lived in the Highland Lakes area since 1998, when he moved to Marble Falls to pursue his dream of calling games. He gained a reputation for “bleeding orange and black” in his support of Llano sports. He wrote for The Llano News, called Llano football games, gave commentary on Stinger-FM Radio and KBEY 103.9 FM, and tried to make as many Yellowjacket games as possible.
According to his obituary, he was a devout Baylor Bears fan, but his heart belonged to the Yellowjackets. This was confirmed by KBEY 103.9 FM Operations Manager Ben Shields, who worked alongside Dlugach for over four years and saw him as a mentor.
“Art’s love affair with Llano was truly amazing,” Shields told DailyTrib. “He was one of a kind. There will never be another person like him.”
His love for the Yellowjackets was reciprocated and he earned the honorary title of “Jacket for Life.”
Dlugach was born on July 2, 1943 in Mississippi and raised between that state and Tennessee. He attended Baylor University and began his career in journalism in Waco and Dallas in the mid-1960s. He then took a job in San Francisco in 1969, where he worked for a CBS affiliate KPIX-TV. He spent 25 years with the station as a film editor, news producer, and sports producer, earning Emmys for his sports work and the title of Sports Producer of the Year.
He had been battling lymphatic leukemia for 20 years leading up to his death, but reportedly worried more about missing Llano football games than his own health when he had to make conflicting medical appointments.
He is survived by daughters Kim, and husband John Crabb, and April, and husband Matt Paine; his grandchildren Jack, Rob, Reagan, and Jess; his sister Jane Lettes; niece Jan and her husband Bob Zauzmer; nephew Louis and his wife Amy Lettes; and families.
Dlugach’s family asked that any support be given to the Llano Athletic Booster Club in his memory. A funeral service will be held at the Llano High School Auditorium, 2509 TX-16 in Llano on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 2 p.m.