Stan Saunders, longtime WJZ reporter and sports anchor, dies at 72

Stan Saunders, a well-known and respected WJZ weekend sports anchor and journalism instructor, died Friday after a lengthy illness. He was 72.

His family confirmed his death in a statement to his former news station, telling WJZ that Saunders struggled with long COVID, which then “turned into sarcoidosis and took its toll.”

“He was truly beloved in our newsroom,” WJZ said in a statement. “Stan had a way with words. More than that, he had a presence you could feel. When Stan was in the newsroom, you knew it; his energy, humor, and spirit made us all better.”

Saunders was a constant presence on WJZ until his retirement in 2013, according to the news station. Former colleagues and admirers posted their favorite clips of Saunders on the job as news spread of his death on Monday.

“He was a pro sportscaster whose personality lit up the screen,” WJZ investigative reporter Mike Hellgren wrote in a social media tribute. “And he was a versatile broadcaster as well.”

He attached a video of Saunders interviewing BWI travelers whose flight plans to the Bahamas were interrupted by a 1994 snow storm. One of the interviewees told Saunders he “will drink a lot of Bahama Mamas” on the rescheduled trip.

“You heard that,” Saunders said, raising his eyebrows and smirking at the camera. At an anchor’s request, he then asked the traveler’s partner how she felt about him drinking all those cocktails.

“Oh, that’ll be fun, because I’ll be right Bahama Mama-ing with him,” she said.

“Ohh!” Saunders laughed. “It’s the Bahama twins!”

Saunders was an adjunct professor at Towson University and a media studies professor at Johns Hopkins University, WJZ reported. He later worked as a substitute teacher at Loch Raven Technical Academy and Edmondson-Westside High School, according to the outlet.

He was also the founder of the nonprofit Baltimore Academy of Sports and Entertainment, which was incorporated in the Baltimore City Public School System’s curriculum in 2020.

Jim Mahjoubian, a former video production coordinator for city schools, said he first met Saunders after his retirement from WJZ. Saunders “saw what I was trying to accomplish in Baltimore and he wanted IN!” Mahjoubian wrote in a social media tribute.

“He brought his impeccable on-camera skills, story wizardry, mentorship, friendship, and passion to help me inspire the students I was working with in Baltimore City Public Schools,” he wrote. “We produced TV shows ... where he trained our hosts in a way I could never dream of, took us to an Orioles game to go behind the scenes, put in hours inspiring our first cohorts of the city schools student media team.”

WJZ posted news of the former anchor’s death on its Facebook page late Sunday. Eighteen hours later, the post had racked up nearly 5,000 likes, more than 600 shares and hundreds of comments from viewers sharing their memories and condolences.

“I used to love watching him,” one commenter wrote. “Stan was a good guy. He always made you feel like he was personally just talking to you.”

“Goodnight to a Baltimore legend,” another said.

This story will be updated.

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