Jim Donovan, who was the radio announcer for the Professional American Football team based in Cleveland, aka the Cleveland Browns, passed away on October 26, aged 68, due to chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Jim Donovan, who became a full-time announcer for the Cleveland Browns and became known as the 'voice of the Cleveland Browns' in 1999, announced his retirement this year. He announced his retirement in August this year to focus on his prolonged battle with leukemia, which recurred in May 2023, despite a successful bone marrow transplant in 2011.
Various media personalities, networks, and organizations, including the Browns organization, expressed sadness at Donovan's demise. In their tribute to the man nicknamed 'Voice of the Brown,' they talked about his passion, humor, and influence while offering their condolences to the deceased's family. The tributes also mentioned his love for his family members; Donovan was survived by his wife Cheryl and their daughter Meghan.
On their official X account, the Cleveland Browns also expressed their sadness about Donovan's passing, saying:
Who is Jim Donovan?
Jim Donovan began his career with WKYC in 1985 and had a career span of almost four decades, which included calling in two summer Olympics and a World Cup. He became a full-time announcer for the Cleveland Browns in 1999 upon the team's return to the NFL and held that position full-time until he announced retirement early this year.
Jim Donovan was diagnosed with cancer in 2000, but he did not reveal to the public his illness until his condition worsened and he had to undergo a bone marrow transplant.
He underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2011 and even had to remove a quarter of his left earlobe because of his melanoma. Despite his difficulty, Donovan returned as the voice of the Cleveland Browns during the season-opening. Though the bone marrow transplant was a success, and he was cancer-free for seven years, unfortunately, he had a cancer recurrence in 2023.
He announced his leave during the 2023 season opener and later announced his retirement in August of this year, saying:
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"My cancer is a defiant opponent and has returned and very aggressively.This will require me to devote everything I have in me to continue the fight and my family and I are committed to doing that."
A few of his well-known calls among Brown fans include the reportedly iconic "The only thing missing is you" to the audience who had to miss the game in 2020 due to COVID-19 regulations.
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