Gil Santos, the longtime radio voice of the New England Patriots passed away last Thursday which coincidentally was the day of his 80th birthday and 57th wedding anniversary. His family said the cause of death was unclear.
Santos began working Patriots games for WBZ in 1966 as a color analyst. He was moved into the play-by-play role in 1971 when the franchise moved to Foxborough. The Patriots’ rights were lost by WBZ in the 1980s, but when they were regained in 1991, Santos returned and became a fixture on game broadcasts through the 2012 season.
In 2009 Santos chose to retire from WBZ as a sports anchor after 38 years. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame that same year, and placed into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2013.
“It was my privilege to honor Gil with his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2013,” Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said in a team statement. “His legacy and most memorable calls will live there for future generations of Patriots fans to enjoy.”
Altogether Santos called 743 games in 36 seasons. He was also heard on a number of Boston College football games.
Santos is survived by his wife Roberta, son Mark, daughter Kathleen and two grandchildren.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
