KALAMAZOO, MI -- Even before he entered high school, Sam Herald talked of wanting to be a journalist, said his mother, Denise Herald.

As a teen, he pursued that interest as a member of the Kalamazoo Gazette's Young Editorial Staff, she said, and an internship in college led him to radio.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 22 at Vicksburg Cemetery for Sam Herald, 31, a news reporter for Kalamazoo's WKZO radio, who died Saturday at Bronson Methodist Hospital.

A Vicksburg High School graduate, Herald began his radio career at WIDR, Western Michigan University's student station, where he continued to volunteer even after being hired at WKZO in 2006.

Paul Richardson, whose WIDR radio show Bottoms & Tops followed Herald's show on Friday nights, said Herald was "an absolute professional," who was also "the nicest, most helpful guy."

Richardson said he would listen to Herald's broadcast, Radio Free Kalamazoo, a news and political and social commentary show, on his way to the studio, and he was always impressed by Herald's smooth delivery.

"He was a great natural talent -- he never got tongue-tied," Richardson said. Herald's program was the only liberal talk radio show in Southwest Michigan, Richardson said. "He was that voice."

Richardson said Herald continued as a volunteer at WIDR on top of his work at WKZO "just because of his passion for it."

Denise Herald said that outside of work, her son enjoyed video games, and was a huge Groucho Marx fan.

"When he was quite young, he read a biography written by Groucho's son that he really enjoyed," she said.

He sought out Marx's movies and collected them all.

"That says a lot about his sense of humor," his mother said. "A lot of people comment about that."

Herald said her son died at Bronson Methodist Hospital where he had been hospitalized for about a week.

"He had been ill, but we didn't realize how ill he was until I took him to the ER," she said.

"We're in shock over here and we are missing a great friend," said Mike Klein, vice president and market manager for Midwest Communications Inc.'s Southern Michigan District. "They held out hope -- we always hoped he would come back and be with us."

"He was one of those people, very steady, very good at his job," Klein said. "He was just a great guy.

"The service is tomorrow, and we are all going to go. There's a line in the (movie) Shawshank Redemption," Klein said. "I guess we just miss our friend."

Visitation with Herald's family will begin at noon April 22 at Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren's Vicksburg location, 409 South Main St., with the cemetery service to follow at 2 p.m.

Herald is survived by his mother, Denise; sister, Ashley, and grandmother, Mima Meadows. He was preceded in death by his father, Wig, and his wife, Christina.

Donations in Herald's memory can be made to WIDR.