SYRACUSE -- Colleagues of Steve Hyder are sharing memories and condolences after learning the former Syracuse sportscaster passed away over the weekend. He was 62 and leaves behind two daughters and a partner.
Brent Axe, reporting on syracuse.com, says word of Hyder's passing came via social media posts by various former colleagues of Hyder's. Former CBS5 (WTVH) sports anchor Dan Hoard (now working play-by-play for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals along with University of Cincinnati football and basketball) wrote a blog post reminiscing of his time working alongside Hyder.
Longtime Syracuse radio listeners may recall when Hyder was paired-up with Doug Logan to call Syracuse University football games on 570 WSYR from the late 1980s and into the 90s. Hyder also called a few seasons of Syracuse Chiefs baseball. Not long after, Hoard and Hyder would be paired-up as the radio voices of the Pawtucket RedSox for six seasons.
Hoard recalled the great times he and Hyder had in the PawSox broadcast booth, lots of inside jokes and high praise from the team's GM, who once said, "if he could have bottled our on-air chemistry he would have been a wealthy man."
Hoard summarized, "After I moved to Cincinnati in 2011, Steve and I would text each other whenever we were reminded of our numerous inside jokes. It’s heartbreaking to realize that I am not going to see his name pop up in my messages knowing that whatever he just typed was sure to make me laugh."
According to Axe's report, Hyder revealed that he had a kidney condition which required a transplant in 2019. The donor was his own goddaughter.