A beloved Texas news anchor, described to his friends and colleagues as kind, funny, and warm, has unexpectedly died at 51, his news station announced on Wednesday. NBC affiliate KCEN 6 News, the Texas TV station where Kris Radcliffe dedicated 22 years of his career, announced his sudden passing during its evening broadcast.
His co-anchor paid tribute to him with on-air shortly after receiving the heartbreaking news. Fighting back tears, Lindsay Liepman spoke about the impact Radcliffe made on the newsroom and the Central Texas community. "Kris sat in the chair right beside me, and he was the best, he was simply the best," Liepman said during the emotional tribute.
Unexpected Death
Lindsay continued: "Funny, genuine and smart. I looked forward to working with Kris every single night, and I think you all could tell at home. We had fun here. Kris loved this community and never took his role for granted."
"If I had known yesterday was going to be our last newscast together, I would have ignored the cues to rap from our producers and just laughed a little longer at all of his jokes," Liepman said through tears.
"I would have thanked him for all that he's taught me and given to all of you, the viewers, but that is now how life works out."
The station honored their late colleague before handing over the broadcast to a sister station in Austin for the remainder of the program. "I simply can't get through the newscast tonight, and I hope you understand," Liepman concluded.
Radcliffe's cause of death was not immediately known.
A California native, Radcliffe joined KCEN in 2002 as a sports anchor and later became the morning anchor for "Texas Today," a daily show that featured local news, entertainment, sports, and weather, serving in that role for nine years, according to KCEN.
The acclaimed newscaster then transitioned to the evening news anchor position, where he reported on the latest headlines and breaking news for his audience in central Texas.
Illustrious Career
Throughout his two decades at the station, he covered major events, including the Baylor Men's Basketball scandal, the Columbia breakup over Texas, three National Championships for the Lady Bears, two Fort Hood shootings, the West Fertilizer Plant explosion, and the Twin Peaks biker shootout, as reported by the outlet.
Radcliffe also hosted and produced 200 episodes of "Money Talks," a weekly segment aimed at educating viewers about personal finance, and was named Waco Tribune-Herald On-Air Television Personality of the Year for six consecutive years.
Before his time at KCEN, the veteran journalist worked in Nebraska and California and graduated from California State University at Long Beach.
"KCEN and the Central Texas community lost a truly wonderful person," said Rob Dwyer, president and general manager of KCEN/KAGS.
"Kris Radcliffe, husband, father, grandfather and anchor for KCEN and the community will be missed. Kris was a kind and generous person who elevated everyone he was around. It is hard to say goodbye."
Radcliffe is survived by his wife, two daughters, and two grandchildren, who have asked for privacy as they cope with their sudden loss.
His sister, Libby, shared a statement on Facebook on behalf of Radcliffe's mourning wife, Kris. "On behalf of my sister, she wanted me to relay to you our profound thanks to the tremendous outpouring of love and support for her, their girls, and families," she wrote.
"She's receiving and reading your texts and posts but it's simply too difficult to respond at this time."
