CLEVELAND (AP) — Jim Donovan, the beloved radio play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Browns and a television sports anchor for more than four decades, died Saturday. He was 68 years old.

Donovan retired from his broadcasting career earlier this year and left his game day duties with the team before this season while battling cancer. He had called Cleveland games since the team’s expansion revival in 1999.

“This is an incredibly difficult day for us and the entire Cleveland Browns organization,” Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said. “His impact as the voice of the Browns for 25 years is immeasurable as he touched the lives of our fans every Sunday with his love for the Browns and his genius 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 lucky enough to call Jimmy family or friend.

A Boston native, known to all as “Jimmy,” Donovan endeared himself to Cleveland fans with his passion, sense of humor and professionalism. He was detail-oriented, spending countless hours preparing game broadcasts.

Donovan had recently been inducted into the Browns’ Legends Club and the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. He was too ill to attend the events.

Even during some tough, losing years for the Browns, Donovan managed to find moments to celebrate.

“He kept it real, but he kept a positive tone,” said former Browns kicker Phil Dawson, who inducted Donovan into the Legends Club. “He always managed to find that balance – authentic, real, accurate, but he was always supportive, even when there wasn’t much to support.

“And I know the players appreciated that. I know I certainly appreciated that. He was always quickly trying to provide context, rather than letting people just focus on an individual moment. He really had a knack for seeing the big picture was still “Go Browns,” but he kept it real and specific, so everyone understood what was going on.

When he was forced to resign in August, Donovan wrote a letter to Browns fans expressing gratitude for their support.

“I’ve been calling Browns games for 25 years. Not a day goes by that I don’t pause and be so proud to be ‘The Voice of the Browns,'” he wrote. “Cheryl, Meghan and I thank you for all your love, your support and prayers during my difficult times. It’s like having a big family around us. And that’s what makes the Cleveland Browns so special.

Donovan had to leave his job as sports director at WKYC-TV last fall for several months to undergo treatment for leukemia. He returned to the broadcast booth in time to call the team’s season-ending playoff run.

He was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2000 and underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2011.

A graduate of Boston University, Donovan arrived in Cleveland in 1985. In addition to reporting locally on the city’s three professional sports franchises, Donovan also did several national network assignments and was part of the NBC’s coverage team at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.

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AP NFL:

Tom Withers, Associated Press