(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Longtime Chicago broadcast journalist Dick Kay has died at the age of 84, according to reports.
Kay died Thursday after being falling ill earlier this week at his home in west suburban St. Charles, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
He spent 38 years at WMAQ-TV Channel 5 and was known for his gruff but folksy demeanor and coverage of Illinois politics. He frequently put politicians on the hot seat with tough questions.
To friends and peers, though, he was a more laid-back person. “Doogie,” as Kay was known offscreen, was born as Richard Snodgrass and grew up in Tennessee.
Kay held a variety of journalism jobs after graduating from Bradley University in Peoria, but he was best known as a Chicago media personality. After retiring in 2006, Kay Kay “Back on the Beat” on WCPT-AM.
“Dick was one of a kind, and it’s a kind they don’t make anymore. Feisty and folksy. Persistent and personable. Cranky and competent. And a strong union guy. RIP Doogie,” former news colleague Dave Stewart tweeted Thursday.