A body that had washed up near Pier 39 Wednesday, March 23, has been identified as Jeffrey “JV” Vandergrift, 55. 

The beloved radio host went missing from his home in San Francsico, February 23, after battling Lyme Disease since 2021. It’s been confirmed that no foul play has been suspected. 

JV was very transparent about his journey, and shared an insightful blog post about it, here. He spoke openly about the pain he was in, the brain fog he experienced and the need for relief. 

Today, Wild 94.9 published a statement on their website that reads:

“With a heavy heart, we must confirm that the body found near Pier 39 on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as our dear friend, family member & colleague, JV. We are devastated to know now that JV is gone. Please keep his wife Natasha, his family, and close friends in your thoughts and prayers.

JV, we’ll miss you. You are forever a Bay Area Icon.”

JV’s listeners would absolutely describe him as such as well. If you tune into the JV Show, then you know the types of talk-backs that have been coming in all month long. Fans often begin their messages with, “I grew up listening to JV,” and this rings true for Bay Area listeners for nearly 30 years. JV joined Wild 94.9 in ’94 (back then it was Wild 107.7) and was best known for his humor, the way he lit up a room and for especially making his listeners feel seen, heard and valued.  

Today is a sad day, not just for Bay Area radio, but for all who knew and loved JV.