Jim Donovan, the beloved radio play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Browns and a TV sports activities fixture for greater than 4 a long time, died Saturday. He was 68.

Donovan retired from his broadcast profession earlier this 12 months and stepped away from his game-day duties with the staff earlier than this season whereas battling most cancers. Donovan introduced his retirement from WKYC on Could 30 and labored his ultimate broadcast as a sports activities anchor on June 10. He had referred to as Cleveland’s video games for the reason that staff’s enlargement rebirth in 1999.

“That is an extremely troublesome day for us and your entire Cleveland Browns group,” Browns house owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam mentioned in a press release. “His affect because the Voice of the Browns for 25 years is immeasurable as he touched the lives of our followers each Sunday together with his love for the Browns and his brilliance at his craft.

“He shall be significantly missed, however he cemented a legacy that may dwell on eternally. The one factor that outweighed his love for this metropolis and this staff was the love he had for his household. Our ideas and prayers are together with his spouse, Cheryl, his daughter, Meghan, and everybody who was lucky sufficient to name Jimmy household or buddy.”

A Boston native recognized to everybody as “Jimmy,” Donovan endeared himself to Cleveland followers together with his ardour, humorousness and professionalism. He was a stickler for element, spending numerous hours getting ready for recreation broadcasts.

Donovan had lately been inducted into the Browns’ Legends Membership and the Larger Cleveland Sports activities Corridor of Fame. He had been too ailing to attend the occasions.

When he was compelled to step down in August, Donovan wrote a letter to Browns followers expressing his gratitude for his or her assist.

“I’ve referred to as Browns video games for 25 years. Not a day has passed by once I have not paused and been so proud to be ‘The Voice of the Browns,'” he wrote. “Cheryl, Meghan and I thanks for all of the love, assist and prayers throughout my tough patches. It is like having an enormous household round us. And that is what makes the Cleveland Browns so particular. You do.”

Donovan needed to step away as sports activities director at WKYC-TV final fall for a number of months to bear therapy for leukemia. He returned to the published sales space in time to name the staff’s late-season run to the playoffs.

Donovan was first identified with power lymphocytic leukemia, a pressure of the illness that begins in white blood cells and impacts bone marrow, in 2000. He underwent a bone marrow surgical procedure in 2011.

A graduate of Boston College, Donovan bought to Cleveland in 1985. Together with doing native reporting of town’s three skilled sports activities franchises, Donovan additionally had a number of nationwide community assignments and was a part of NBC’s protection staff on the 1992 and 1996 Summer season Olympics.