He served on many local boards, including: Visit Erie, the Economic Development Corporation, Erie Metropolitan Planning Organization, and PA Bureau of Aviation’s Air Service Development Committee. He also was very active in many Boy Scout activities. Rodgers is survived by his wife, Ann, and two sons, Liam and Layne. Well-known Erie radio personality and sports commentator James LeCorchick passed away unexpectedly on October 13, 2016. He was 69. A lifelong resident of Erie, he was born on June 2, 1947 and attended Cathedral Prep. According to his obituary, “he was fortunate to have a long career covering his greatest passion: Erie sports.” LeCorchick got his start as the sports editor for The Lake Shore Visitor and worked as a sports writer for the Erie Times-News before moving on to a radio broadcasting career in the 1970s that spanned five decades. Most recently, he was a well-known commentator for WJET-AM-1400 and WFNN-AM-1330, discussing sports and local issues, in addition to play-by-play and color commentary for college and high school football and basketball games, predominantly Cathedral Prep and Gannon University. When he wasn’t attending or covering a local game, he was cheering on his much loved Notre Dame Fighting Irish, among other area professional sports teams. Michael Malpiedi, general manager of Connoisseur Media, LLC, expressed the impact that LeCorchick had on the community. “Jimmy’s importance to the radio landscape in Erie is hard to put into words. It’s not because he did a lot of show prep or research on industry developments that made him an icon, it’s because of his connection to the community on so many different levels,” Malpiedi said. “He was a huge supporter of area sports and deeply interested in Erie history as it pertained to his time and experiences in the community. To use Jimmy-isms, his on-air presence was ‘Tre-e-e-mendous’ and his stories got most of Erie all ‘Fired Up.’ Jimmy was definitely one of Erie’s most notable sports legends and, quite possibly, its biggest fan. It is hard to walk by the JetRadio 1400 or 1330 The Fan studios without still seeing him behind the mic with a newspaper in his hand and Gypsy by his side!” LeCorchick is survived by two children and their spouses, Lindsay and Luke Jensen and Jeff and Lisa LeCorchick, and grandchildren Lilly Anna and Lincoln James.
mbabizmag.com • OCTOBER 2017
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