Tony Ventrella, a longtime prominent part of the Seattle sports scene, has passed away.
Ventrella passed away on Saturday night.
“It is with a very heavy heart that it was my Dad’s time to go do the great sportscast in the sky,” Ventrella’s son, Peter said on social media (H/T KIRO7.com). “He was loved by many, and passed away peacefully last night surrounded by loved ones. I will miss you Dad.”
From 1982-1994, Ventrella (Tony) worked as the sports director at KING 5 (Seattle’s NBC affiliate). He was then the lead sports anchor at KIRO 7 (presently Seattle’s CBS affiliate) from 1994-2002.
“Tony was loved by so many and he brought so much joy to each and every sportscast,” KING 5 sports reporter Chris Egan said, per Adel Toay of King 5. “I’m proud to say I grew up as a Tony Ventrella fan. In 1993 Tony took time out of his busy King 5 schedule to talk to me when I was a student at PLU about getting into sports broadcasting. He became a mentor and a role model, but more importantly, Tony Ventrella would become my friend.”
Both the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and MLB’s Seattle Mariners also paid tribute.
“We are saddened by the passing of our friend Tony Ventrella,” the Seahawks statement on X (formerly Twitter) said. “As a fixture in our community and sports media landscape for more than 40 years, Tony had a deep passion for the City of Seattle and Seattle sports. His positivity and love for others will be remembered by all. We will miss you, TV.”
We are saddened by the passing of our friend Tony Ventrella. As a fixture in our community and sports media landscape for more than 40 years, Tony had a deep passion for the City of Seattle and Seattle sports. His positivity and love for others will be remembered by all. We will… pic.twitter.com/BQGDfSTUV4
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 20, 2024
“We join the Seattle sports community in remembering local sportscasting legend and former @KING5Seattle Sports Director Tony Ventrella,” the Mariners X post said. “His passion and dedication to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest will always be remembered. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”
We join the Seattle sports community in remembering local sportscasting legend and former @KING5Seattle Sports Director Tony Ventrella. His passion and dedication to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest will always be remembered. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. https://t.co/iBknmbGjNM
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 20, 2024
Ventrella was a three-time Emmy winner. He was 80.
[KIRO7.com, King5.com, Seahawks on X, Mariners on X, Photo Credit: KING 5 on YouTube]
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