By Kevin McCauley
Nick Charles, CNN’s first sports anchor, died June 24, from bladder cancer. He was 64.
Charles |
The former taxi cab driver began at CNN on June 1, 1980, the opening day of the Turner Broadcasting unit. He paired with Fred Hickman on the “Sports Tonight” show. People magazine was dubbed Charles one of America’s most handsome men, according to a report on CNN.com.
Charles, who was living in Santa Fe at his time of death, had been chronicling his battle with cancer on CNN.com. He discussed the dying process and how he was preparing family memories for his demise. Charles made a series of birthday videos for his five-year daughter, Giovanna, for the years to come.
Charles, whose name was Nicholas Charles Nickeas, grew up in Chicago. He got his first journalism job at WICS in Springfield in 1970 and worked at stations in Baltimore and Washington before joining CNN.
Jim Walter, CNN president, called Charles’ death a “loss to CNN, to the sports world and to fans and friends everywhere with him to the end of his extraordinary life.”
|