For decades, Les Shapiro was a familiar face in Colorado living rooms and a familiar voice on local radios, keeping the state’s avid sports fans up-to-date on the latest news about their beloved teams. 

The longtime Denver sports broadcaster died over the weekend after a five-year battle with lung cancer. He was 65.

Shapiro, who didn’t drink and never smoked in his life, chronicled Denver sports for more than three decades. He was surrounded by his immediate family when he died at a hospice care facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to a statement on Facebook from the family. 

“We spent the last four days with him, joking around, telling stories, and reading him the messages you all sent,” the statement read. “We can’t imagine someone feeling more loved at the end of life than Les did. Thank you all.”

Those who worked with Shapiro told The Denver Gazette that they’ll always remember and appreciate his dedication to his craft — whether on television or radio — his vast knowledge of everything Denver sports and commitment to his opinions. But more importantly, they remember his willingness to share his knowledge with newcomers.

“The greatest gift he gave was he helped so many people further their careers,” said Eric Goodman, a friend and former co-host of the “Afternoon Drive with Goodman and Shapiro.” “Not many people in this industry are willing to do that, but he was always willing to help someone else.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Shapiro was a bulldog reporter who was smooth and polished on television. 

“Les always was a towering figure in my eyes and a Denver legend,” Schefter wrote in an email to The Denver Gazette. “I have great respect for the work he did and am grateful for the role he played in my professional life. I will always cherish our friendship over the years.”

Aside from Schefter, Shapiro worked with and became a mentor to many others including Altitude Sports reporter and host Vic Lombardi.

Lombardi told The Denver Gazette that he met Shapiro in the late 1980s while interning at Channel 4, where Shapiro served as his editor. While Lombardi was intimidated at first, Shapiro taught him what he needed to know about being in the business.

“He’s very gifted at coaching,” Lombardi said. “He was fearless. And he taught me how to make the calls to get the stories, how to be right and how to not base my journalist instinct on what other people say.”

The two later reconnected as co-workers when Lombardi joined Shapiro at Channel 4 following the Broncos Super Bowl XXXII victory in 1998. They teamed up again in late 2020 to start the podcast “We Are Unstoppable.” 

The podcast shared inspirational stories from the likes of former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann and legendary sportscaster Verne Lundquist. It stopped last spring as Shapiro’s health began to decline.

“We did the podcast together because we both had gone through cancer,” Lombardi said. “It was a wonderful opportunity for me to spark what was a lifelong friendship.”

Outside of television and when his voice wasn’t being broadcast across the Mile High City, Shapiro was a fitness enthusiast, according to his friends. He was known to work out daily at the Jewish Community Center and go hiking in his free time, said Chris Fuselier, a close friend of Shapiro. 

Besides his commitment to physical fitness, Shapiro was a known pizza enthusiast — especially Chicago deep dish — and loved anything that reminded him of his hometown of Chicago like Portillo’s.

Fuselier said he last saw Shapiro two weeks ago in Arizona and brought his friend Italian beef and a Chicago dog from Portillo’s. Although Fuselier isn’t a journalist, he said he also benefited from Shapiro’s wealth of knowledge. 

“He would hold you accountable and by holding people accountable he made them better and think about why we do the things we do,” Fuselier said. 

Shapiro was born in Skokie, Illinois, and grew up in nearby Wilmette. His media career began in Phoenix, where he was a news writer and producer for KPNX-TV.

Before coming to Denver in 1983, he worked as a sports anchor for WEEK-TV in Peoria, Illinois. 

Shapiro is survived by his wife of more than 30 years, Paula, and two sons, Jessie and Cary. The family said on Facebook that they plan to hold a Shiva in Arizona this week, and will have additional gatherings in Denver and Chicago at later dates.