Anthony Fenech, and George Sipple

Detroit Free Press

Former Detroit Tigers broadcaster Paul Carey died tonight in his Rochester home. He was 88.

He had been in hospice care for about six weeks according to his wife, Nancy. He died of complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and heart disease.

Carey retired in 1991 after 19 years broadcasting Tigers games with Ernie Harwell. Carey also worked at WJR radio from 1956 to 1992.

“The team of Ernie and Paul was, such a great team,” current Tigers play-by-play radio announcer Dan Dickerson told the Free Press tonight.

“I think the thing I took away from listening to those broadcasts, just the way they called a really good game. I grew up listening to these guys. It was Ray Lane first with Ernie, then it was Paul. And I just liked the way he called the game. It was straightforward.

"He had a powerful voice that kind of sucked you into the radio. Ernie was different, but they had that same magic.”

“He was just very humble and gracious and kind, he loved to share a laugh. He had a big, booming laugh that I’m sure you can picture and he was just a very likeable, nice person and for me, it was just a treat to be able to spend any time with him. A truly nice person to go along with being a great broadcaster.”

Red Wings play-by-play radio announcer Ken Kal grew up in the west side of Detroit, and said: “(Carey) had the voice that all broadcasters would love to have. He made you feel good by the way he broadcast Tiger games. I always felt I was at the ballpark when he was describing the action.”

A six-time Michigan Sportscaster of the Year, Carey was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.

The Tigers released the following statement: "The Tigers organization is saddened by the loss of Paul Carey. Paul was a consummate professional who had one of the most distinctive and classic broadcast voices. Paul captivated Tigers fans for 19 seasons behind the microphone including the magical 1984 World Series Championship. The Tigers family extends our sincere condolences to Paul's wife, Nancy, and his family."

Carey was born in Mt. Pleasant. He attended Central Michigan and graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State.

He began his broadcasting career as an original staff member of WCEN in Mt. Pleasant in 1949, and worked at WKNX in Saginaw from 1953 to 1956.

Carey worked for WJR for 35 years in a number of roles. He created and hosted the Michigan High School football and basketball scoreboard programs for over three decades. He received Distinguished Service awards from the Michigan High School Coaches Association and the Detroit Catholic League.

Other honors included the Centennial Award from CMU, the Unsung Hero of Sport Award, the Lowell Thomas Award and the Big Ed Award.

Carey was a member of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Honor and an honorary member of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association, the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association and the Detroit Tigers Alumni Association.

Carey and his wife are longtime, active members of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Rochester Hills. He enjoyed volunteering at Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic in Troy.

He is survived by Nancy, his wife of nearly 30 years, brother-in-law Duane Wackerly (Denny) of Saginaw and eight nephews and nieces.

Listen to Carey and Harwell here:

Sports figures we've lost in 2016:

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