Sadly,‘Voice of the Buffaloes’ Larry Zimmer dies at 88 due to strange illiness
Larry Zimmer, the longtime Colorado Buffaloes radio announcer who also spent time broadcasting games for the Denver Broncos, Michigan Wolverines and Colorado State Rams, among others, died Saturday at the age of 88.
Surrounded by family after a 10-day stay at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood, Colo., Zimmer passed away peacefully, per the University of Colorado.
A minute of silence was held by the school before Sunday’s women’s basketball game between Colorado and Southern California in honor of the man known as the “Voice of the Buffaloes,” who has televised 486 football games and another 525 basketball games for them.
Colorado’s athletic director Rick George remarked, “His voice was synonymous with our athletic program and he was most beloved by our coaches, players, and fans.” “Larry Zimmer was CU, whether he was announcing sports on KOA or acting as the master of ceremonies for numerous of our events. He really is a part of our past as athletes. Zim will be missed, and his family is in our thoughts and prayers.
Zimmer handled either play-by-play or color commentary duties for Colorado for 42 seasons and handled 26 seasons of commentary for the Broncos. He was on the microphone for four Super Bowls. He also called 51 Michigan football games and 34 Colorado State football contests.
“The Broncos are deeply saddened by the passing of legendary radio broadcaster and longtime Ring of Fame
committee member Larry Zimmer,” the group stated in a statement that was made public. “Throughout his 52-year tenure with the Broncos, Larry called some of the most memorable events in the history of the team and assisted in paying tribute to some of our greatest legends. We are praying for Brigitte, Larry’s wife, and his whole family.
Zimmer, who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1935, attended LSU first before moving to Missouri, where he completed his studies in 1957. Prior to starting as Michigan’s broadcaster in 1966, Zimmer worked as a baseball umpire for the Tigers.
Five years later, he joined KOA, which was the beginning of his long-term relationship with CU and the Broncos.
