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Jim Donovan, the radio voice of the Cleveland Browns for 25 seasons, passed away at the age of 68 after battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Donovan was diagnosed in 2000 and underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2011.
“This is an incredibly difficult day for us and the entire Cleveland Browns organization,” Cleveland Browns Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a team release. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jim Donovan. His impact as the Voice of the Browns for 25 years is immeasurable as he touched the lives of our fans each and every Sunday with his love for the Browns and his brilliance at his craft.”
“He will be greatly missed, but he cemented a legacy that will live on forever. The only thing that outweighed his love for this city and this team was the love he had for his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Cheryl, his daughter, Meghan, and everyone who was fortunate enough to call Jimmy family or friend.”
Donovan was first named as the radio voice of the team in 1999, when the franchise returned from a three-year hiatus, and completed his 25th season in 2023.
Donovan announced in late August he would not be returning to the broadcast booth.
“Unfortunately, I will not be calling the (season opener) on the Browns Radio Network,” he wrote on social media. “I have called my last Browns game,” Donovan revealed. “I have been dealing with cancer for many years. I’ve gone through every treatment imaginable. But my cancer is a defiant opponent and has returned and very aggressively. This will require me to devote everything I have in me to continue the fight and my family and I are committed to doing that.
“I have called Browns games for 25 years. Not a day has gone by when I haven’t paused and been so proud to be ‘The Voice of the Browns’ … I’ll be watching and listening. Here we go Brownies, here we go!”
