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By Neil Rudel
nrudel@altoonamirror.com
Stan Savran, a Pittsburgh broadcasting icon who emceed the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet since its inception, has died.
He was 76.
Savran's death Monday evening follows a series of health issues that included lung cancer in 2022 and the amputation of his right foot two months ago.
Though at the time he expected to return to his regular radio show, Savran developed an infection in late May.
He had a soft spot for Altoona and Blair County and served as the local Hall of Fame's master of ceremonies since the first event in 1987 and returned for every one of the 19 ensuing banquets.
The Hall of Fame presented Savran with a caricature of himself -- drawn by the late Jim Steiner -- during the most recent banquet in May of 2022 at the Blair County Convention Center.
"The one common thread through all of Blair County Sports Hall of Fame induction dinners is the feeling of community," he said. "I'm not a member, but you've made me feel like one.
"Since 1987, when we began this, I've come away with the same feeling: This is a special place. I know that you know that, but I think it's important that you realize that."
Steve Sheetz, the Hall of Fame's first president, said Savran was "the perfect fit."
"Stan has been such a vibrant part of the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame since we started," he said. "He just related to everyone so well. He had a dry sense of humor but was very funny.
"He was so good at playing off what people said or did. I still remember him busting Joe Paterno for not wearing a tux and how he reacted when Billy Conn stood up and said nothing except 'where's my check?' Stan just always knew how to react to whatever was going on. He was great with the appropriate comeback. We will miss him for sure. He was the heart of our dinners. And just a great person that related to and respected everyone he came in contact with."
Savran grew up in Cleveland and came to Pittsburgh in 1976.
He became known as "the godfather" of the city's sports media for his longevity and his work on his nightly call-in TV show with Guy Junker.
He also hosted the pre-game Pirates and Penguins shows on AT&T Sports (formerly KBL and Root), maintained a longstanding daily radio show, most recently on FoxSports 970, and hosted Mike Tomlin's weekly TV show.
Savran, a 1969 Miami of Ohio graduate, is a past radio play-by-play voice of Penn State and called the Nittany Lions' 1986 national championship game with George Paterno.
Ted Beam of Altoona was part of the radio network as a director and spotter and remained close with Savran.
"They worked so well together, with Stan helping George learn the business, and it culminated with the Century of Excellence dinners in 1986," Beam said. "Stan would have liked to continue as the Penn State radio announcer when the TV network was no longer needed but understood when Fran Fisher was rehired and Steve Jones succeeded him."
Savran, who was single, was a 2002 inductee into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and was named to the Pittsburgh Pirates Media Wall of Honor in 2018.
"I always thought he was going to beat this thing, and he fought it clear to the end," Beam said. "I'm personally going to miss him terribly; he was a wonderful person. Also, he was a true professional on the air, whether it was doing play-by-play, reporting the sports on the local newscast, handling pregame and postgame duties for the Pirates, Steelers, Penguins, or handling phone calls on his talk shows. His passing is a big loss for the city of Pittsburgh and everyone who knew him."