For greater than 4 many years Wealthy Passan lent his voice and opinions to Cleveland sports activities via his work in The Plain Vendor and on native radio stations.
He was finest recognized for hockey protection in his “Passin’ the Puck” column and weekend sports activities discuss radio reveals on WWWE and WKNR. He later wrote in regards to the Cleveland Browns for the Orange and Brown Report.
“I grew up studying Wealthy,” Tony Grossi, an Ohio sportswriter and on-air host for ESPN Cleveland, informed the Cleveland Jewish Information. “… Wealthy was one of many originals after I obtained to The Plain Vendor. He was enjoyable to be round, and he had an opinion about all the pieces. Made him an fascinating man within the workplace and actually an excellent author, actual obsessed with sports activities and ideal for a sports activities web page.”
Passan died Might 4, after a brief a battle with mind most cancers. He was 85.
He wrote for The Plain Vendor in the course of the “heyday” of newspapers and is remembered among the many likes of Dan Coughlin, Russ Schneider, Chuck Heaton and Invoice Nichols, Grossi stated.
His son, Jeff Passan, the MLB Insider at ESPN, recalled going to work along with his father round 6 years previous and witnessing what a “basic” newsroom was like.
“The power simply transfixed me, and my dad was in the course of all of it and that was a very cool factor to witness,” Passan informed the CJN. “I don’t assume I’d be a journalist if not for my dad opening that world as much as me.”
As a journalist, Wealthy Passan had a youthful perspective, was critical when he wanted to be and had “forceful opinions,” Sheldon Ocker, a sportswriter for the Akron Beacon Journal, informed the CJN.
“You would have enjoyable with Wealthy, he preferred to have an excellent time and was pleasant with everyone I knew,” Ocker stated.
Jeff Passan additionally recalled his father’s forceful opinions within the radio sales space as callers “would simply shred him,” he stated.
“I’m a child and I’m like, ‘Why did they disagree with my dad? He is aware of all the pieces,’” Jeff Passan stated. “Effectively, it seems that he didn’t and after I obtained older, I disagreed with him when it got here to sports activities so much, too, however I believe there was a technique to his insanity, and I believe he actually knew tips on how to interact individuals and it’s what made him pretty much as good on the job as he was.”
As a father, Wealthy Passan was there when he could possibly be for Jeff Passan and his sister, Nicole Atlas, a contract proofreader and duplicate editor, who each grew up in Solon. Regardless of being like “ships passing within the evening” resulting from his demanding work schedule, he was a “fan” at their sporting occasions, left considerate notes on their nightstands, printed out tales he loved studying for them and served as editor for his or her center college newspapers, Jeff Passan stated.
Jeff Passan, Nicole Passan and Wealthy Passan Submitted photograph ▲
“He was an excellent individual, an excellent father and he was superb at his job,” he stated.
Upon his retirement in 2004, Wealthy Passan and his spouse of 47 years, Debbie Passan, moved to Goodyear, Ariz., in line with his obituary. For almost a decade, his wealthy baritone voice served as the general public tackle voice for the Cleveland Indians, now Guardians, and Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark, and he continued to share his unwavering opinions on his sports activities weblog, Wealthy’s Rants.
Passan is survived by his spouse, Debbie; son, Jeff (Sara) Passan; daughter, Nicole (Aaron) Atlas; and grandchildren Jack Passan, Luke Passan, Leo Atlas and Bronwen Atlas.
Debbie Passan and Wealthy Passan with their grandson, Luke Passan, at Sprucedale Visitor Ranch in Arizona. Submitted photograph ▲
A memorial service was held on Might 8 at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel in Cleveland Heights. Interment was at Mount Olive Cemetery in Solon.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Mind Tumor Affiliation (abta.org), the Nationwide Mind Tumor Society (braintumor.org) or the Nicole Hazen Fund For Hope, which raises cash for mind most cancers analysis (shorturl.at/VMTaD).
To learn the obituary, go to shorturl.at/OdKob.
