Larry Fitzgerald Sr. — the father of Arizona Cardinals Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald — died on Monday, June 1, in Minnesota.
Marcus Fitzgerald, Larry Jr.’s brother, announced his father’s passing in a post on X.
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“A devoted father, husband, grandfather, and a true pioneer in the Minnesota broadcasting community, he spent his life pouring into the people and the city he loved so much,” Marcus Fitzgerald wrote. “He left us peacefully this afternoon, surrounded by his family and the people who loved him most.”
The cause of death was not immediately clear.
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Fitzgerald Sr., who was 71, was born and raised in Chicago, before playing college football at Indian Hills Community College and Indiana State University. He graduated in 1978 and began a lengthy career in sports media, working as a broadcaster and sportswriter in the Minneapolis area.
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After his wife, Carol, died of breast cancer in 2003, Fitzgerald Sr. founded the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund to raise money for breast cancer and HIV research.
He is survived by his two sons, Larry Jr. and Marcus.
“We are so grateful for the incredible care and kindness shown by the team at the University of Minnesota Fairview Southdale Hospital during this time,” Marcus wrote. “We ask that you keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate these first difficult days.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Larry Fitzgerald Sr., father of Cardinals legend, dies at 71
