CINCINNATI — While this year brought so many great stories to the Tri-State, we're also remembering the stories of those we lost in 2024. So often, people think of new stations as organizations that bring only bad news to the public. But this story isn't about the bad. It's a celebration of the people who helped make Cincinnati, and the things we love about it, what it is today.
Pete Rose
Cincinnati lost one of its most legendary figures this year when Pete Rose, a Western Hills alum who became Major League Baseball's hit king while playing for his hometown team, died in September.
A key part of the Big Red Machine and "The Great Eight," Rose was a National League Rookie of the Year, National League MVP and World Series MVP while helping Cincinnati to two World Series titles in his first stint with the Reds.
He won another World Series championship with the Philadelphia Phillies before returning to his hometown and becoming the all-time hit leader at Riverfront Stadium in front of more than 47,000 fans.
The 17-time All-Star had a stellar career as both a player and manager for the Reds, but was fired in 1989 when he was banned from baseball after accusations he gambled on games while he played and managed the team.
Rose eventually admitted in his autobiography that he did bet on baseball games, including Cincinnati's, while with the Reds. He claims he never bet against the team.
His death reignited debates about whether he should be eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, with many former players, fans and celebs calling for him to be reinstated posthumously.
While he will may never get into the Hall of Fame, his importance to the game — and the city of Cincinnati — is obvious. Fans poured into Great American Ball Park on a rainy November day to bid farewell to Rose during a 14-hour visitation.
Don Gullett
The Reds lost another member of the Big Red Machine earlier this year.
Don Gullett, a Reds Hall of Fame inductee, died in February at the age of 73. Called "the best athlete and competitor I ever saw or played with" by Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, Gullett was a critical part of the Reds' biggest era.
The Kentucky native was drafted by Cincinnati 14th overall in 1969. He went on to play seven seasons with the Reds, helping the team to four National League pennants and two World Series championships. The lefty had a 3.03 career ERA in Cincinnati with 91 wins and 777 strikeouts.
He wasn't done there. Gullett would then win consecutive World Series titles with the New York Yankees before his MLB career ended in 1978.
Gullett returned to the Reds as a pitching coach from 1993 to 2005. Born and raised in Greenup County, Gullett continued to live in his hometown after his baseball career ended. He died on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 2024, at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus due to heart issues.
Gerry Faust
Anyone who keeps up with high school athletics knew or knew of Gerry Faust. The legendary former Moeller coach who led the Crusaders to five state championships and four of those mythical national titles passed away in November.
The 2004 National High School Sports Hall of Fame inductee is remembered for his success and impact on and off the field.
On the field, Faust is known as being one of the best high school football coaches in the nation for two decades. Off the field, he's known as an inspiration to his family, players and coworkers.
"He inspired his players to be men of faith and character who pursued academic excellence and pushed one another to succeed," said Carl Kremer, Moeller's interim president. "He believed in that brotherhood, and he defined it in how he lived."
Faust coached 22 All-Americans and 39 All-Ohio players while being a six-time Ohio coach of the year, according to his National Federation of State High School Associations biography.
A statue of Faust can be found right in front of the Gerry Faust Athletic Complex behind Moeller High School. A plaque under the statue reads, "Gerry Faust had a deep appreciation of his Catholic faith and a great love for the Blessed Mother. He gave of his time and boundless energy to help others both within and beyond the Moeller community. Coach Faust showed what it meant to be a 'Man of Moeller.'"
Marco Angulo
FC Cincinnati fans were shocked to learn one of the club's players died following a crash while on loan in Ecuador.
FCC first announced in October that 22-year-old Marco Angulo was hospitalized after a car crash in Quito, Ecuador, where Angula was playing for the Serie A club L.D.U. Quito.
Ecuador newspaper El Universo reported that a black SUV crashed into a bridge under construction on a highway in Quito. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Angulo was among four injured. El Universo said a doctor told them Anuglo had a fractured pelvis and head injuries.
More than a month later, the club announced the Ecuador native died due to the injuries he sustained in the crash.
Acquired by FC Cincinnati in December 2022, Angulo made his debut for the Orange and Blue in March 2023, starting in nine games and playing in 24 overall. Loaned out this season, fans might not have been too familiar with Angulo off the pitch, but FCC called him a "joyful, kind young man who lit up every room he entered."
"Our club grieves this tragedy, and we are thinking of and praying for his family," the club said in a statement. "He was a cherished member of the FC Cincinnati family, and he will be missed."
Angulo is survived by his wife and child.
Stan Aronoff
A Cincinnati native known for his political career and advocacy for the arts died this year.
If you're too young to remember Stan Aronoff's career, you'll likely know his name because of its presence on two Cincinnati structures: The Stanley J. Aronoff Center for the Arts and the Aronoff Center for Design and Art at the University of Cincinnati.
In 1965, Aronoff helped create the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency that funds and supports art experiences throughout the state. He spent much of his life supporting local organizations like the Cincinnati Association for the Arts, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center and more.
A Harvard Law School graduate who practiced law for over 50 years, Aronoff is best known for his time in the Ohio Statehouse. He spent six years in the Ohio House and served 30 years in the Ohio Senate. He was president pro tempt from 1985 through 1988 and Ohio Senate president from 1989 through 1996.
Aronoff died Jan. 31 at the age of 91.
Brigid Kelly
Flags flew at half-staff in March to honor Brigid Kelly, the former Hamilton County auditor who died following a battle with cancer.
The Norwood native and Xavier University grad first served as a state representative for Ohio's 31st district, which included Norwood, Amberley Village, Silverton and other areas. Kelly then served as county auditor, where she had to step down from her position as she was placed in hospice care amid her cancer battle.
"Brigid Kelly was, and will remain, an irreplaceable kind of spirit. In everything she set herself to, she left a real and unique touch," Mayor Aftab Pureval said in a statement following her death. "You always knew she was there, that she cared and that she would do what it took to help."
Family, friends and community leaders celebrated her life wearing her signature green following her death.
Jim Scott
Cincinnati lost a legendary radio host this year. Jim Scott, a former 700WLW host, died at the age of 81 after a battle with ALS, his wife announced in June.
Scott started his career in Cincinnati radio in 1986, first working at the rock station 130 WSAI. He then went to 700WLW, where he spent 30 years.
He announced in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with ALS a year earlier after he began experiencing weakness in the same arm and leg that the polio he had as a child weakened.
Scott said the disease started to impact his voice and walking abilities, but he never gave up.
"The grace with which he met and endured the indignities of ALS was astounding and inspiring. So very Jim," his wife Donna wrote while announcing Scott's death.
Donna's announcement was met with an outpouring of love from thousands of Greater Cincinnati residents who shared memories of meeting Scott or growing up listening to his voice every day.
Jay Warren
WCPO 9 reporter and photographer Jay Warren died this year after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Though he grew up elsewhere, Warren put down roots right here in the Tri-State when he began working at WCPO in 2004. While working here, he worked on several big stories including the search for George and Jennifer Hyatt of Tennessee in Erlanger and their arrest in Columbus. He was also in Burlington the night the accused "Blue Eyed Rapist," David Hopper, was caught.
Warren received an Emmy nomination and was honored by the Kentucky Associated Press for his work, but he'd tell you work was never his entire life. He was also a Junior Olympic volleyball coach and a member of the United States Chess Federation, teaching kids across the Tri-State.
He is survived by his wife Grace and his daughter Victoria.
John Lomax
WCPO wasn't the only local news station to lose a beloved member of its family. Local 12 announced the death of former anchor John Lomax in March.
The Knoxville native first arrived in Cincinnati as a Local 12 reporter in the 1980s. By 1990, he was a co-anchor for the station's morning show. He stayed with the station until his retirement in April 2022.
So many people in the Tri-State spent years waking up to Lomax on their TVs, giving them the news they needed before heading out for the day.
He is survived by his wife, Donna, his children and grandchildren.
Read more of WCPO's year-in-review stories below:
A look at the most Cincinnati stories that happened this year
Top 9 Greater Cincinnati restaurants that opened in 2024
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