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North Texan Zig Ziglar Remembered

Zig's public Facebook page
Zig Ziglar

Services for internationally-known motivational speaker Zig Ziglar will be Saturday at 11am at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. The 86 year old Ziglar died of pneumonia Wednesday.

Prestonwood Pastor Jack Graham says ZigZiglar sat in the first pew nearly every Sunday for 20 years.

“Now imagine that, being a preacher and preaching to Zig Ziglar, the ultimate communicator,” said Graham.

Graham says Ziglar had a genuine enthusiasm for encouraging and helping people.

“He was just able to take great truths and practical applications of important issues and ideas and say it in a way with such humor and such joy that people were just captivated,” said Graham.

Ziglar’s positive messages came in his famous seminars that drew thousands; more than two dozen books he authored; and audio tapes. Al Fike is a motivational speaker and Christian comedian living in Richardson. He came to know Ziglar and even share a stage with him on several occasions. He says one particular Zigism changed his life: you can respond to an event in your life or you can react. Fike says a response is positive, a reaction generally negative.

“When I think about Zig a lot, that particular phrase is the one I probably think about the most,” said Graham. “It’s affected my comedy career, the ministry that I’m in, my family life and my kids, everything. It’s affected all parts of my life.”

Governor Rick Perry, at an event in Irving, said Zigler influenced so many people.

“Through his teachings, through his quotes, through his seminars all of us have gleaned some wisdom and some direction in how to live a full, wholesome and spiritual life,” said Perry.

Jack Graham says Zig Ziglar was a man of faith and the real deal – onstage and off.

“This wasn’t an act,” said Graham. “His ability to communicate and motivate came from deep within.”

Graham says Zig Ziglar was the great encourager; a minister of hope.

Below is a video of Zig Ziglar at one of his famous seminars:


 

Former KERA reporter BJ Austin spent more than 25 years in broadcast journalism, anchoring and reporting in Atlanta, New York, New Orleans and Dallas. Along the way, she covered Atlanta City Hall, the Georgia Legislature and the corruption trials of Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards.