Beloved sports reporter and ‘voice of the Cleveland Browns’ Jim Donovan dead at 68 after long cancer battle

Cleveland is mourning the loss of iconic local sports reporter and ‘voice of the Browns’ Jim Donovan following his death from cancer at the age of just 68.

The news was revealed by his former employers at WKYC on Saturday afternoon, just four months after he retired from the station after 39 years.

Donovan was the radio voice of the Cleveland Browns for 25 years, and had planned on continuing in the booth post-retirement until his cancer returned ‘very aggressively’.

In a message to fans in September, he said: ‘Not a day has gone by when I haven’t paused and been so proud to be the “Voice of the Browns”.’

Donovan is survived by his wife Cheryl and daughter Meghan. 

In a statement released on social media, Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said: ”This is an incredibly difficult day for us and the entire Cleveland Browns organization. We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jim Donovan.

‘His impact as the Voice of the Browns for 25 years is immeasurable as he touched the lives of our fans each and every Sunday with his love for the Browns and his brilliance at his craft.

‘He will be greatly missed, but he cemented a legacy that will live on forever. The only thing that outweighed his love for this city and this team was the love he had for his family.

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Cheryl, his daughter, Meghan, and everyone who was fortunate enough to call Jimmy family or friend.’ 

Donovan was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2000, per WKYC, and underwent a decade-long battle with cancer, before getting all the all-clear.

In 2023, he announced that his leukemia had relapsed, leading to bouts of chemotherapy and ultimately his decision to retire from broadcasting. 

He missed the regular season in 2023 but returned to the booth for the postseason and recorded a voiceover for a team hype video.

In it, he said: ‘Let the word go out to the NFL this postseason: Here come the Cleveland Browns – a tough, talented team that just won’t give up. And I promise…I won’t either.’