Dan Avey, Sports Broadcaster, Dies at 69

Dan Avey, a radio and TV sports analyst who lived in Studio City most of his life, died Aug. 15 due to complications of prostate cancer. He was 69.

A memorial service attended by Los Angeles Kings hockey luminaries was held Aug. 27 at the Sportsmen's Lodge.

Avey spent seven seasons as a commentator for the Kings from 1969 to 1976 and worked in their front office. He also taught broadcast journalism at California State University, Northridge.

He was also a radio commentator for KABC, KFWB and KFI, covering both sports and news. He won 15 Golden Mike awards and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

An often-told story about Avey is that he never saw a hockey game before he broadcast his first commentary on the game, and that he convinced media mogul Jack Kent Cooke (who at one time owned the Los Angeles Daily News and many radio stations) to hire him.

Avey, born in Spokane, WA, on April 26, 1941, attended Gonzaga University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. He served as a Green Beret in Vietnam in the Army from 1966 to 1968.

He is survived by his wife, Michele Davis-Avey; four children; six grandchildren; and two brothers, Mike and Tom.