Services Announced For Hudson County Sportswriter Jim Hague, 62

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Longtime North Jersey-area sportswriter Jim Hague, who grew up in the Greenville section of Jersey City, died on Sunday at 62.

Hague, who had a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of athletes who came through Hudson County schools, wrote columns for decades for the Observer, the Hudson Reporter, and other North Jersey news outlets.

His obituary noted, "He would write his own game recaps as a young boy, pretending that he was writing for the newspaper. The dream became a reality."

Hague often wrote about issues surrounding athletics as well as the games, and for many years boosted young athletes with his "Athlete of the Week" award.

He also brought joy to other community members he wrote about. Upon finding out about his death, several of them posted stories on social media Sunday, such as this one: "There are no words good enough for me to use to express the happiness you brought to my father ... You were a real cheerleader of dad and his bowling accomplishments, including boosting his spirits when at 98 he became ill."

Hague is survived by his wife, Hudson County Judge Mary Costello, and many close relatives and friends.

He was a longtime fan of the Mets, Rams, and Marquette University, his alma mater.

He wrote this goodbye post last year when he decided to retire from regular sportswriting.

"Over the past two decades, I’ve written hundreds of Athlete of the Week features and those great athletes opened up to me and told me their great stories while focusing on their achievements. I’ve covered hundreds of games and events and tried my best to put those events to words so that others could enjoy and celebrate," he wrote.

Gene Ritchings, who edited him at the Hudson Reporter, said Sunday, "His coverage of high school and college sports attracted a large readership to The Hudson Reporter for years. Athletes, their friends and classmates and families all followed his reporting, and when the final owners of the Hudson Reporter [Newspaper Media Group] laid him off merely to save money, it was a crippling blow that was a factor in the paper's eventual demise. He was a reporter with a passion for his work and integrity in his writing, and a big hearted man of warmth and humor."

Hague, who celebrated his birthday last week, had chronicled some of his recent health challenges on Facebook.

Hague was a relative of former Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague, but avoided politics, preferring to support young athletes through the written word.

To read his extensive obituary, and learn details of services, click here.