R.I.P.: Radio, TV Sports Personality Rod Simons

Rod Simons

Rod Simons, a longtime Twin Cities and former Seattle and Pacific Northwest sports personality, has died while covering the Minnesota Twins spring training in Fort Myers Fla., according to the Twins.

He was 56, according to The Seattle Times.  A cause of death was not given.

A graduate of Washington State, Simons spent more than 20 years in the sports-media profession, and he worked for multiple causes including his Golf for the Gift charity that helped raise funds to help families with adoption grants.

Before moving to Minnesota, Simons anchored the launch of FOX Sports Net’s “Regional Sports Report” in the Pacific Northwest and Detroit Regions while also hosting KOMO-AM sports in Seattle. In all, Simons spent 18 years as a lead news and sports anchor at KSTW-TV (CBS/UPN) in Seattle; KOIN-TV (CBS) in Portland; KJR-AM in Seattle and KVI-AM in Seattle. His body of work as sports director at KSTW included covering Rose Bowls, the Mariners’ AL playoff runs from 1995-2001 and the Sonics’ 1996 trip to the NBA Finals against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.