Steve Hyder, a very familiar voice to those in Syracuse, has passed away at the age of 62. Hyder had battled a kidney condition since 2014 and had a kidney transplant, the donor being his goddaughter, in 2019.
Hyder called Syracuse University basketball games in the 80’s and 90’s and also spent three seasons calling games for the Syracuse Chiefs who were, at the time, the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Hyder also hosted sports talk shows in Syracuse on WHEN.
Hyder would later move to Rhode Island and would end up calling games for the Pawtucket Red Sox, who used to be the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
Dan Hoard, the voice of the Cincinnati Bengals and the University of Cincinnati, knew and worked with Hyder. He posted a blog about the passing of his friend and said, in part, “My good friend and former broadcast partner Steve Hyder passed away this weekend. He had a razor-sharp wit, an incredible memory (especially for old TV shows), a big, booming voice, and an even bigger heart. I’m guessing that most of the people that knew him well consider Steve to be one of the most loyal and trustworthy friends they ever had. Not to mention one of the funniest people on the planet.”
Hoard would add, “After I moved to Cincinnati in 2011, Steve and I would text each other whenever we were reminded of our numerous inside jokes. It’s heartbreaking to realize that I am not going to see his name pop up in my messages knowing that whatever he just typed was sure to make me laugh.”
Hyder is survived by his daughters Eva and Carly and by his partner Cathy.
