Dick Enberg, whose six-decade broadcasting career ended in San Diego, was being mourned around the sports world after his death Thursday from an apparent heart attack.

Dodgers announcer Vin Scully and Padres sportscaster Dick Enberg shared memories during their last season, 2016. They retired the same day. Image via YouTube.com

The Hall of Fame announcer was 82.

“I’m still in shock,” his wife, Barbara Enberg, told Bryce Miller of The San Diego Union-Tribune, who broke the news after 9:30 p.m.

The former voice of the UCLA Bruins, Angels, Rams and Padres died Thursday morning at his La Jolla home while preparing to leave for Lindbergh Field and a flight to meet up with his wife and family in Boston, the U-T said.

“He was dressed with his bags packed at the door,” his wife said. “We think it was a heart attack.”

An NBC Sports star for a quarter-century, Enberg covered tennis, horse racing and the Olympics in addition to the major pro sports. He later worked for CBS, calling golf and the NCAA Final Four besides NFL games. He also worked for ESPN and Fox Sports West.

“Oh my” was his signature phrase — and the title of his autobiography.

His last seven years were with the San Diego Padres, and he retired the same day in 2016 as his famed Dodgers counterpart, Vin Scully.

“We are immensely saddened by the sudden and unexpected passing of legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg,” said Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler and managing partner Peter Seidler. “Dick was an institution in the industry for 60 years and we were lucky enough to have his iconic voice behind the microphone for Padres games for nearly a decade.

“On behalf of our entire organization, we send our deepest condolences to his wife, Barbara, and the entire Enberg family.”

The Detroit News recalled Enberg’s early years in Michigan, where he was born Richard Alan Enberg on Jan. 9, 1935, and became a “huge Tigers fan” who said he wanted to be slugger Al Kaline.

“During his swan song from broadcasting in 2016, he was invited to broadcast a Tigers game. And in 2017, after he officially retired from doing Padres games, the Tigers invited him back, to work an August Tigers-Dodgers series at Comerica Park. He worked alongside Kirk Gibson, and was in heaven,” the News said.

Enberg was the L.A Rams broadcaster from 1966 to 1977, the California Angels from 1969 to 1978 and UCLA men’s basketball telecasts from 1966 to 1977.

He received the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting, in 2015. He had earlier received similar awards from the Basketball and Pro Football halls of fame.

Enberg worked for CBS for 11 years prior to joining the Padres as a play-by-play broadcaster for NFL games, college basketball and tennis’ U.S. Open. He also contributed to coverage of the Masters and PGA Championship.

Prior to CBS, Enberg spent 25 years at NBC Sports, including as the play-by-play announcer for Super Bowl and Rose Bowl games, and college basketball’s Final Four.

He also announced or hosted the Tournament of Roses Parade for years, sometimes joined by family members.

Flowers will be placed on Enberg’s star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday.

Tributes came from his former employers, colleagues and fans.

— City News Service Contributed to this report.
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