Leahey, who retired in 2018, had battled health issues in recent months.
His instantly recognizable voice was the soundtrack to many of the biggest moments in UH sports history on both radio and television, spanning thousands of games. He called much of the Rainbow Warrior football team’s unbeaten 2007 regular season and its cherished victories over BYU in 1989 and 1990. He had some memorable calls of buzzer-beaters such as his “How sweet it is!” for Tes Whitlock’s basketball winner over the Cougars in 1995.
Leahey was inducted into the UH Sports Circle of Honor in 2016. He won Hawaii Sportscaster of the Year 19 times.
A former schoolteacher, he would often summon and emphasize uncommon, multisyllable words in the flow of a game.
Leahey, the son of legendary local sportscaster, Chuck Leahey, transferred his passion to a third generation. His son, Kanoa, is now the primary play-by-play voice of UH sports for Spectrum Sports.
The Leahey family put out a statement: "Today we lost the patriarch of our family. A man known by his supreme talents for storytelling, an unrelenting passion for Hawaii and the teams and athletes that represent it, and a lifelong love for the craft of sports broadcasting.
"Jim Leahey was also a loyal and loving husband, father and grandfather, who placed his family and his faith above all.
"He took tremendous pride in supplying the narration for some of the University of Hawaii’s greatest athletic achievements, and cherished seeing the community come together, united, to root for the home team.
"We thank everyone for their well wishes and support at this mournful time.
"As our dad would always say to close his broadcasts, 'malama pono kekahi i kekahi.'"
From a young age, Jim Leahey followed in the footsteps of his father. At his retirement party in August 2018, he recalled filling in for him on the radio for the first time at just 15 years old at a boxing match at Schofield Barracks.
Jim Leahey graduated from Saint Louis School and attended Chaminade University, where he is a member of the Hall of Fame. He graduated from the University of San Francisco and went on to serve in the Vietnam War.
Upon his return, he taught at Campbell High School for 10 years, then entered the broadcasting industry full time for KITV and KGMB.
He took over radio play-by-play duties on KGU from his father in 1973. He became the official voice of UH sports on television in 1984 on KGMB, then KFVE and OCSports (the precursor to Spectrum Sports).
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi was a former broadcast partner of Leahey's for UH football games, and for a period his supervisor in the broadcasting industry. Blangiardi said in a statment: “I feel very privileged to be able to say Jim Leahey and I were more than just friends. We shared 13 unforgettable football seasons doing University of Hawaii games on radio and television. Jim had a very rare and special ability to connect with people, especially in capturing the pride of Hawaii’s people with the success of our teams, not just in football, but in every sport!
“Jim could stir your emotions, and that made every game a worthwhile experience, no matter the score. In a business where champions are revered, Jim Leahey was a champion, and his legacy and many contributions to Hawaii’s sports will never be forgotten!”
In his later career, Leahey gradually transferred play-by-play duties for sports like men’s basketball and women’s volleyball to his son.
For nine years starting in 2006, Jim and Kanoa Leahey appeared on the PBS Hawaii sports talk show, Leahey & Leahey and hosted a wide range of local personalities to “talk story” over a representation of the family kitchen table.
The two Leaheys frequently joked that given their verbose nature, the guest could rarely get a word in.
Leahey is survived by his wife, Toni, three children and one grandchild. Services are pending.
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3/12/23 - Jim Leahey, watching over UH sports
3/13/23 - Jim Leahey remembered for touching many lives
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