Former WCCO sportscaster Ralph Jon Fritz died Wednesday after battling stomach cancer for more than two years.
News of Fritz’ death was broken by his friend and former colleague Mark Rosen.
The 78-year-old grew up in Sleepy Eye and began his radio career in Stillwater at 1220-AM WAVN in 1958.
He started at WCCO in 1968 and stayed for 40 years. He was at home covering anything from the Vikings to local sporting events.
He announced in April 2015 that he was battling inoperable stomach cancer and added in late November, via his Caring Bridge site, that he was entering hospice care.
Tributes from local media poured in on Twitter. Some of them include:
Thank you for all the kind words on the passing of my long time colleague and best friend, RJ Fritz. He was a gifted story-teller who never lost that small town charm from Sleepy Eye. What a blessing it’s been to have him in my life all these years.
— Mark Rosen (@WCCORosen) December 6, 2017
Ralph Jon Fritz has died. Here’s a column I wrote on this wonderful, cancer-fighting gent in January: https://t.co/158DqF1sq7
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— Patrick (PJ) Reusse (@1500ESPN_Reusse) December 6, 2017
Sad news @WCCO Ralph Jon Fritz passed away today, 26 years ago today he is with Dave Moore on Dave’s final newscast @esmemurphy @pavekmuseum @WCCORosen https://t.co/w0LYgiknAq pic.twitter.com/wcTUaIt5WP
— tcmedianow (@tcmedianow) December 6, 2017
Former WCCO sportscaster Ralph Jon Fritz has died after a long fight with stomach cancer. | https://t.co/FFNXtR80tw pic.twitter.com/tZOfAGJ1qd
— WCCO – CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) December 6, 2017
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