Devon resident Jack Whitaker, a legend who is considered one of sports broadcasting’s first and best essayists, has died at 95, writes Frank Fitzpatrick for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Whitaker grew up in Germantown. He enlisted in the Army during World War II, and two years after being discharged in 1945, he graduated from Saint Joseph’s University.

He found his first job in a small radio station in Pottsville. He got his start in television at WFIL-TV in his hometown, which was later purchased by CBS. Somebody at the network noticed Whitaker, and he soon started commuting to New York whenever he was needed.

He was picked to host the CBS Sports Spectacular, which was the opening he needed. He soon became known nationwide as an outstanding play-by-play man with an essay niche.

“When I first met Jack … I felt like I’d been introduced to Ernest Hemingway,” said CBS’s Jim Nantz. “I grew up watching him deliver contemplative and contextual prose with his famous short essays, bringing class and dignity to his industry.”

Whitaker was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2012.

Read more about Jack Whitaker in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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