FAIRHAVEN — Tributes have been pouring in to radio station FUN 107 in response to news of the death of popular radio personality Sharon Fogaren.
Fogaren, 43, who co-hosted the morning show with J.R. Reitz, died Wednesday at a Boston hospital of complications from a heart attack she suffered Aug. 20.
“Everybody at the station is heartbroken,” said Reitz, who announced Fogaren’s death to listeners Thursday morning. “We’ve had literally hundreds of calls and e-mails and thousands of hits on the Web site. “I was blessed to work with her,” Reitz said. “Sharon was a wonderful person — witty, funny, and she really enjoyed life. People who never met her felt like they knew her. They felt like she was one of the family.”
He said he did the show with her for many years starting in the early 1990s “and again when she came back from ABC 6 in fall 2001.” Between her two stints with the radio station, Fogaren, a Rochester resident, worked for several years as a news anchor for ABC 6 in Providence. Citadel Broadcasting’s regional president Wayne Leland, who is based in Fairhaven, worked with Fogaren for 14 years. Citadel is the parent company of FUN 107.
“Sharon was a special woman who touched a lot of lives,” Leland said. “She did a lot for the community and was involved with a lot of charitable organizations. Many people thought of her as a friend.”
To honor her memory, the station plans to hold a walk-athon in her name, Leland said. “This was something that Sharon wanted to do. She had been talking about it,” he said. “She lost her mother to breast cancer a couple of years ago and it was her dream to do a walk-athon to help raise funds to fight breast cancer. We want to do that for her to honor her memory. On the FUN 107 Web site, under a photograph of a smiling Fogaren, there were dozens of comments. “My thoughts and prayers go out to the staff of Fun 107 and Sharon’s family for their loss.” one listener wrote. “I listen to JR and Sharon every morning on my way to work for that hour commute and was shocked to hear of her passing this morning. She will truly be missed.”
Wrote another, “Thank you, Sharon, for your laugh, wit and warmth each day I drove to work every day.” Another listener said, “When I got in my truck this morning to go to work, you were playing a Sarah Evans song and I just knew in my heart that something awful had happened and then JR confirmed my worst fears. Sharon was one in a million and will be so missed. Her infectious laugh brought a smile to my face more times than I could count.” On his afternoon show, Ken Pittman said plans had been under way to use Fogaren as a “woman’s voice” on WBSM, FUN 107’s sister station, in addition to her morning radio duties.
No details of funeral arrangements had been released at press time. [source]
Even tho I never met you, I felt like I knew you from all the years waking up to you and J.R. on my alarm clock. Then I would listen to both of you on my drive to work at 6:30 daily. The show can’t possible be the same without Sharon. That warm contagious laugh and quick wit will sadly be missed. Rest in peace. At least you are with your mom and aunt, you’ll NEVER be alone. I hope for your family’s sake, they figure out what lead to your tragedy.