Rich Brenner

Rich Brenner (1946 – 2012) was a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. He was student senate president, sports editor of the college newspaper, Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, and a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from BW in 1968. Rich broadcasts his first football game at his college over the radio with play-by-play reports in October 1965, and spent the summer of 1967, between his sophomore and junior years of college, as a correspondent in Vietnam. He began with television career in 1975 American television sportscaster. For two decades, he reported with FOX8 until his retirement in April 2008. He was a captain in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. In 1972, he joined the 4th Civil Affairs Group located at the Washington, DC Navy Yard. He served as a platoon leader and rose to the rank of Captain before leaving that unit in June 1975. Rich anchored sports for WLVA in Lynchburg, Virginia (1975-1977); WAVY in Portsmouth, Virginia (1977-1978); WRAL, Raleigh, North Carolina (1978-1981); WMAQ, Chicago, Illinois (1981-1983); WTVD, Durham, North Carolina (1983-1986) and WGHP-Fox8, Greensboro, North Carolina (1987-2008). Rich worked tirelessly for charities in his community and across the state. He was a dedicated volunteer, who donated his time as emcee for many fundraising events and charities. He also served as a tutor to kindergartners at Pilot Elementary School. Rich also found time to teach a broadcasting class at Elon University. He has mentored hundreds of young aspiring sportscasters and journalist over his 34 years in broadcasting. On February 27, 2012, Rich developed a cough during a talk given to military and first responders at "The American Red Cross Salute to Heroes" He was taken to Moses Cone hospital where he died that evening of a heart attack. Rich was speaking about a passion of his and many others to finish building The Carolina Field of Honor, which was opened on Memorial Day 2013.