Sportscaster Gary Papa Loses Battle with Cancer

Gary Papa, a sports broadcaster and native of Buffalo, has died of cancer. He was 54 years old.

Papa was born in Buffalo on September 2, 1954.

He earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell University and later went on to graduate from the University at Buffalo Law School.

In the late 1970s, Papa began his sports broadcasting career at WGRZ.

In 1981, he joined the sports department at WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, Pennslyvania. He spent nine years there as the weekend sports anchor, before being named Action News Sports Director in 1990.

Papa was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004.

Papa died Friday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He leaves behind his wife, Kathleen, and two sons, Tucker and Nathaniel.