WBZ Radio Traffic Reporter, Actor Joe Stapleton Dies
BOSTON (CBS) – Longtime WBZ NewsRadio traffic reporter and actor Joe Stapleton has died. The station said Stapleton, 55, died unexpectedly on Tuesday.
"He never walked through the door without a smile and friendly greeting for everyone he met," WBZ Operations Director Bill Flaherty said in a written statement.
Stapleton had small roles in big movies filmed around Boston. A demo reel he posted to Facebook in November shows his appearances in "Spotlight," "Manchester By The Sea" and "Mystic River."
Stapletown appeared on WAAF's Hill-Man Morning show for many years as "Major Dick." In the past he also served as a traffic reporter for both WBZ-TV and WHDH-TV.
Several people who knew Stapleton shared their condolences on social media.
My thoughts are with the family of @WBZTraffic reporter Joe Stapleton who passed away today. Joe had a hearty laugh, big heart & was a pleasure to work with
— Jacquelyn Goddard (@JacqueGoddard) January 2, 2019
Whether or not you realize it, I guarantee you've seen Joe on the big screen. He's also been reporting the traffic for a long, long time. Big loss.https://t.co/lsPCQRsHUI
— Marshall Hook (@marshallhook) January 1, 2019
Very sad news to get. Joe was a mentor of mine when I started as a traffic reporter. Great guy to hang out with, who possessed a very Boston sense of humor. He will live on through his roles in pretty much ANY movie that was made in Boston. Thinking... https://t.co/szMXTLMhPJ
— George Knight (@georgeknight) January 1, 2019