Former WBZ NewsRadio Traffic Reporter Joe Morgan Dies

BOSTON (CBS) – Former WBZ NewsRadio 1030 traffic reporter Joe Morgan died Wednesday after a long illness. He was 67.

Morgan worked for more than 30 years in radio before he started reporting in the WBZ traffic helicopter in April 1997.

He retired two years ago.

His family says it was a peaceful passing with his loved ones in attendance.

Morgan is survived by his four grandchildren and his wife, Ellen, to whom he was married for 44 years.

He grew up in Andover and lived on the North Shore his whole life.

He spent his entire career broadcasting in Boston, beginning in 1968 at WCOP as the Operations Director. Eight years later, he became the Public Affairs and Editorial Director, News Anchor and Reporter, and the News Director for WRKO.

In 1989 he was named news director for WHDH-Radio.

Morgan won dozens of awards for outstanding news, public affairs programming, and editorial research/writing from AP, UPI, RTNDA, The White House, United States Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, City of Boston, Scripps-Howard Foundation, Action for Children's Television, and others.

Former WBZ Morning News anchor Ed Walsh worked with Morgan for years at WRKO and WBZ and said he had an incredible voice.

"Joe and I sort of had an informal contest every morning on who could project the deeper, more authoritative baritone and Joe won every single day," Walsh said.

"He was quite a guy, and he loved what he did. He will be terribly missed."

In an interview with WBZ after his retirement, Morgan said he missed being up in the helicopter each day because he was now stuck in traffic with the rest of us.