Longtime Cincinnati Reds beat reporter John Fay passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at the age of 66.
Fay, who retired from his post at the Cincinnati Enquirer after nearly 40 years with the paper, died of a broken heart both “literally and figuratively,” according to his niece, Erin. John had lost his wife, Laura, in January of this year, after a six-year battle with breast cancer. Erin said that Fay was a great uncle, writer, husband, brother, and human who will be deeply missed.
https://twitter.com/ErinPFay/status/1689763746078400512?s=20
Fay had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in September 2022 and underwent chemotherapy treatment until January 25, 2023. This was his second battle with cancer, having previously defeated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the mid-1990s.
After the death of his wife earlier this winter, Fay returned to what had been a second home for nearly 20 years—the Reds press box, which was written about by the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Jason Williams earlier this year. Fay covered the Reds from 2001 until his retirement in 2020. He was briefly gone after taking an early retirement buyout in 2015, but returned and didn’t make his actual retirement official until 2020.
Fayman kept up with the Reds on his personal blog, fayonthereds.com and last tweeted about the team on July 22:
Elly De La Cruz in run at third. Loudest ovation I’ve heard for a pinch-runner since, well, Billy Hamilton. #reds
— John Fay (@johnfayman) July 22, 2023
As soon as news spread of Fay’s passing, tributes began to pour in for the legendary scribe:
John Fay was truly kind to us back in the early Red Reporter days. We were speaking with him in Goodyear in 2012 the minute he got the news about Ryan Madson's elbow and he had to run to go cover it. A truly funny and kind guy. RIP.https://t.co/GTIwoacynT
— Red Reporter (@redreporter) August 11, 2023
I don't know what to say. John was very welcoming to me in Cincinnati, and always ready with a wry quip in that deep voice of his. He and his late wife Laura endured more than their share of health-related hardship, and it was clear how much he missed her. I hope he's at peace. https://t.co/VlpW1bdiab
— Zach Buchanan (@ZHBuchanan) August 11, 2023
Such sad news. John was nominally my "competitor" with the other paper in town when I covered the Reds but there was never a day I felt anything but kinship with him. He was a sheer delight to be around, and all the more so when the lovely Laura was there as well. (1/2) https://t.co/al4L8j3qie
— Marc Lancaster (@MarcLancaster) August 11, 2023
This was hard news to hear on Thursday. I’ve had the good fortune of working next to John for almost two decades. He is a quiet guy who takes a while to get to know but once you do, it was so worth it. John never had an ego, always had a dry sense of humor so … (1/) https://t.co/NQTCROIiID
— Mark Sheldon (@m_sheldon) August 11, 2023
John Fay was a great friend, mentor, coworker and role model. I’m still processing this. He lived a great life. He was quietly one of the funniest people I knew. I will miss his laughter most of all. I keep leaning on the fact that he wanted to be with Laura again and now he is. https://t.co/Q13DyHNpmO
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) August 11, 2023
This is so sad. I appreciated John's sense of humor. I didn't get to know him all that well, but the few random conversations I'd had with him over the years were fun. A lot of my most memorable moments as a Reds fan have links to John. A tip of my green Reds hat to him. RIP https://t.co/fgd3yXiCAZ
— Joel Luckhaupt (@jluckhaupt) August 11, 2023
RIP John, longtime Reds beat writer https://t.co/wa2LPlLIzt
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 11, 2023
RIP Longtime Cincinnati #Reds baseball writer John Fay. What an unbelievable gentleman. https://t.co/1n5hufKQQw
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 11, 2023
John was a fabulous baseball writer and the greatest friend. He even brought my wife and I to the Fay family Christmas party in our first year in Cincy.
Press boxes won’t be the same without his gags, but glad he is reunited with Laura. https://t.co/LLU16ayzvT
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) August 11, 2023
We are saddened to hear of the passing of longtime Reds beat writer John Fay.
John was always super nice to us every time we were in the GABP press box. He used to joke about the BG Corvette museum sinkhole. The written word has lost one of its masters.— Redlegs Radio Report- Jason (@RedlegsRadioRep) August 11, 2023
Former #Reds longtime writer John Fay has passed away.
Very sad to hear. May he rest in peace… he was one of the good ones.
Just freshly retired. Very, very sad.— Nati Sports (@Nati_Sports) August 11, 2023
John Fay was a good writer; he wasn’t full of “it” nor was he full of himself. I enjoyed the way he covered the #Reds and how he sprinkled in just enough sarcasm in his work.
RIP @johnfayman
— doug (@desmiff) August 11, 2023
Knew John Fay as a young phenom, a seasoned veteran and as the adoring husband of the wonderful Laura. Cool and clever on deadline, able to give as good as he got in on-air sparring with Marty Brennaman, he covered the Reds with distinction and gentle humor. RIP, Fayman.
— Tim Sullivan (@TimSullivan714) August 11, 2023
