by KYW's Paul Kurtz and Jim Melwert
Longtime Philadelphia television sports anchor Gary Papa has died at the age of 54.
Papa, the sports director for WPVI-TV, died Friday after a five-year battle against prostate cancer.
Gary Papa joined the TV station in 1981 as a sports reporter. The TV station's web site says he spent nine years as weekend sports anchor, while reporting from the field three days a week. He was named sports director in 1990.
He leaves behind his wife, Kathleen, and two sons, Tucker and Nathaniel.
KYW Newsradio 1060 extends its condolences to Gary's family and to his colleagues at Channel 6 and throughout the Philadelphia news industry.
The Friday evening newscasts on 6-ABC were dedicated to the memory of Sports Director Gary Papa, who died earlier in the afternoon after a 5-year-battle with prostate cancer.
He was remembered for his infectious personality, his smile, and his intense dedication to his job.
Long-time co-anchor Jim Gardner:
"Well, it's hard to talk about the word death in connection with Gary. Everything he did was life."
Gardner added that the person you saw on TV was the same Gary they worked with.
And Action News executive sports producer Mark Meany said working with Papa taught him about the news business and much more:
"I learned so much from him about the right way to go after stories, the aggressiveness to go after stories, also to the compassion to have with people, and how to differentiate what's a big story and what's something that you just leave alone."
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