Sports radio voice 'Harry from Englewood Cliffs' dies after final call

Harry Chakmakian, better known to listeners of "The Michael Kay Show" on ESPN radio as the popular caller "Harry From Englewood Cliffs," died on Friday.

The genial 99-year-old was known for frequently charming the hosts with his positive nature, courteous manner and sports acumen.

"Harry was a cherished part of our family and he will be terribly missed," Kay tweeted on Monday, after receiving an email from Chakmakian's family. "Condolences to his family. RIP my friend."

Chakmakian's last call to the show came last week, when he informed co-hosts Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg that he was struggling with steroid treatments for an undisclosed ailment.

"But I'm gonna beat it," he said.

All three hosts are on vacation from the show this week.

He was treated as a VIP both on the air and at public events staged by the Kay show. The hosts said they regretted he could not make it to their 20th-anniversary show, which was broadcast live last month from the Palladium Times Square theater in New York.

"Sorry to hear about the passing of Harry from Englewood," tweeted La Greca, who grew up in Hawthorne. "It was a honor to know him. We miss you and your passion for life."

By Monday afternoon, news of Chakmakian's death was trending on Twitter.

"Love this man Harry so much," Rosenberg tweeted along with a video of Chakmakian's live appearance at one of the show's annual Jersey Shore remote broadcasts.

'Point of pride' for a former radio operator

According to his obituary, Chakmakian grew up in Philadelphia and served in World War II as a radio operator on a B-29. He later married his childhood sweetheart, May, and opened a flower shop in the Bronx. He then had a successful career as a partner at Michael Halebian, a flooring distributor in Carlstadt.

He also loved coaching and watching basketball, coaching tennis and playing it with friends, listening to music and spending time with his family. He was an active member of St. Leon Armenian Church in Fair Lawn, where he taught tennis, and helped develop the youth community at Camp Nubar in the Catskills.

His granddaughter, Jennifer Dooly, told the Record and Northjersey.com that sharing his thoughts about sports over the airwaves became a "point of pride" for Chakmakian.

"In the past several years, he gained the courage to call in to 'The Michael Kay Show' to share his opinions on sports," she said. "An email group spanning three generations quickly popped up to disperse the recordings of his calls. He became a TV personality, 'Harry from Englewood Cliffs,' and had a large fan base."

Kay told the Record on Monday, "He was the nicest, most soft-spoken man. Whenever he called he was so respectful and happy to have this small forum. He really became like our grandfather, but the kind of grandfather you just wanted to be around and listen to his stories. He was current and sharp and on point with all of his takes. In short, he was 99 but he lived in the now."

Kay said he "sat down and cried a little bit" when he heard the news.

"Over the years we all grew to love him and adored when he called in," Kay wrote. "We became even closer to him when his son would drive him to our remotes and he would gleefully come on the air with us. He was that special, and we should all aspire to live life the way he lived it. He will be terribly missed by all of us."

Sports were more than a passion for Dooly's grandfather.

"In his 40s, Harry had a heart attack and knew he needed to make a change," she said. "He picked up a tennis racket, lost weight, and didn’t put the racket down until his late 90s. Sports were a big part of his life."

Dooly said funeral services published in the obituary, scheduled for Tuesday, have been postponed. The family will announce a memorial event closer to what would have been his 100th birthday on June 24.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Harry From Englewood Cliffs ESPN sports talk caller dies