One of Hopkinsville’s best friends and most recognizable voices is gone after longtime WHOP News Director Jim Love passed away early Sunday morning after a long battle with cancer.         

Love began his duties at WHOP on September 19^th, 1972 after coming to Hopkinsville from WNBS in Murray.          

In his farewell that aired in December of 2005 when he entered semi-retirement for the first time, Love talked about hearing the Early Bird Show in 1971 while picking up the state basketball tournament feed from WHOP. Jim had no idea that he would one day become a fixture on WHOP and in Hopkinsville.

Jim covered nearly every major news story that ever impacted western Kentucky in his 40 year career, but none was bigger than the Gander crash that claimed the lives of 256 Fort Campbell soldiers and flight crew.

Love appeared on CBS News for a report on the crash.

Jim was perhaps best known for his change in cadence when giving the morning obituaries. Jim had a very good explanation for why his voice deepened and became much more somber when announcing the area funeral arrangements.
                                              

Jim was flawless in memorializing a public official or other notable citizen when they passed away and perhaps best summarized our thoughts on Jim when he remembered the late Sherry Jeffers in the days following her death.

Love is survived by wife Cheryll, daughters Amy Colley and Jennifer Folz and son Bobby. We’ll have much more on the life of Jim Love in our newscasts in the coming days.          

We close this tribute with Jim’s words. The words he closed newscasts with for over 40 years in Hopkinsville.
                                              

Jim was 68 years old.

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12/ 16/2012/AM