Flemming dies of prostate cancer at age 80
PETOSKEY, Mich. -- Bill Flemming, a longtime ABC Sports broadcaster who covered events as varied as the Olympics, college football and cliff diving, has died. He was 80.
Flemming died Friday of prostate cancer in Petoskey, a Lake Michigan town near his summer cottage, his daughter, Lindy Flemming of Larkspur, Calif., said Tuesday.
In addition to football and golf play-by-play, Flemming reported on more than 600 events for ABC's "Wide World of Sports."
He covered 11 Olympics and the showdown between chess titans Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in 1972. He grew up in Ann Arbor, graduated from Michigan and considered the Michigan-Ohio State football matchup one of his choice assignments.
George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks said in a statement: "Bill's versatility demonstrated the essence of what we all loved about ABC's 'Wide World of Sports.' In covering everything from cliff diving to hurling, he opened the window for fans to many sports they had never seen before."
Flemming entered broadcasting in 1949. He worked for WWJ-TV in Detroit and appeared on NBC's "Today" show before joining ABC's "Wide World" in 1961.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara Forster Flemming; daughter Lindy Flemming; son William Mason Flemming; son-in-law Phil Andrews and grandchildren Ian and Cody Adelson.
A memorial service is scheduled for Aug. 10 at First Presbyterian Church in Harbor Springs.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
