Reporter Jeff Dickerson, a beloved and respected figure on the Chicago sports scene, died Tuesday after a bout with cancer.
He was 43.
The longtime ESPN reporter, who made his name covering the Chicago Bears, had been undergoing treatment at a hospice center in Barrington after being diagnosed with colon cancer earlier this year.
WMVP-AM 1000 personality Marc Silverman, who announced the news Tuesday on “The Waddle & Silvy Show,” called Dickerson “the most optimistic man I’ve ever met in my life.”
Almost three years ago, on Feb. 26, 2019, Dickerson’s wife, Caitlin, died of melanoma at age 36 after battling cancer for eight years. Dickerson took time off from his ESPN duties to care for Caitlin and raise their young son, Parker, during her illness. After Caitlin’s death he hosted a radio telethon to help raise money for cancer research.
“It’s hard to put into words what losing one of my closest friends at this stage of life feels like,” WSCR-AM 670 reporter Zach Zaidman said. “Seems like something that should be a few decades away. I loved him like a brother. He was so determined. I can’t stop thinking of him and his parents and Parker.”
Though Dickerson’s illness was known by his colleagues at the radio station and many in the Bears press box, he did not make it public and still was tweeting information about the Bears as recently as Dec. 3.
“Those who have listened to the radio station are in shock today,” Silverman, a cancer survivor, said on ESPN 1000. “And the reason is Jeff Dickerson is the strongest person I know. People say that and they throw that around about people all the time. I know firsthand.”
The Bears released a statement that called Dickerson “the consummate professional.”
“JD took a great deal of pride in his coverage of the Bears for 20 years,” the statement said. “He was a true professional and even better person. JD always was one of the first media members to arrive in the press box on game day, with a hello and a smile that could brighten anyone’s day. He was one of a kind and will truly be missed.”
San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould, a friend of Dickerson’s since Gould’s days with the Bears, spoke with him by phone at the hospice Friday.
Credit: Chicago Tribune
To honor the memories of Vaughn McClure & Jeff Dickerson by supporting the people and causes that were close to their hearts.
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