"It's not what you know, it's who you know," were the final words of a man who spent 69 years in radio ministry. 

Charlie VanderMeer (a.k.a Uncle Charlie), died in his home on Friday, February 22, 2019.

VanderMeer spoke those last words to Keys for Kids President Greg Yoder, who was with VanderMeer just before he passed away.

"Though it was hard for Charlie to breathe, in his final moments he wanted everyone to know the 'who' he was talking about was Jesus Christ," KFK said in a release.

VanderMeer said, “I trust Him today just like I did when I was six years old. Knowing Jesus as your personal Savior is the most important thing.”

VanderMeer shared the message of Jesus with millions of kids and families through 69 years of radio ministry. It began at the age of nine on the Children's Bible Hour, now known as Keys for Kids Ministries.

In 1943 Charlie started taking part in the Children’s Bible Hour radio broadcasts. KFK says that Charlie’s dad had brought him to one of the live broadcasts in the WLAV studio, which were often filled to capacity. Uncle Mel would occasionally take a roving microphone and interview members of the studio audience. One of those he interviewed was Charlie. Mel liked the way he responded, and Charlie was invited to be a regular—not to sing, but to read Scripture, poems, and object lessons. He eventually got a regular part in the dramatized stories written by Harry Trover.

Charlie left the program to attend college. In 1956, after graduating from Bob Jones University, he took a temporary position and made plans to go to the mission field. But in the end, Children’s Bible Hour became his mission field. He became Uncle Charlie in 1972 after Aunt Bertha’s retirement, becoming the fourth director of the ministry. It was a position he held until March 1999. He continued to serve as the voice of Keys for Kids until December 2015.