Beloved veteran Texas news anchor Kris Radcliffe dead at 51: He was simply the best

A beloved Texas news anchor who was described as a kind, funny and warm presence unexpectedly died at age 51, his news station announced Wednesday. NBC affiliate KCEN 6 News — a local Texas TV station where Kris Radcliffe worked for 22 years — revealed his sudden death during its evening newscast. “Kris sat in the chair right beside me, and he was the best, he was simply the best,” Radcliffe’s co-anchor Lindsay Liepman said, holding back tears during an emotional tribute. “Funny, genuine and smart.I looked forward to working with Kris every single night, and I think you all could tell at home.

We had fun here.Kris loved this community and never took his role for granted.”“If I had known yesterday was going to be our last newscast together, I would have ignored the cues to rap from our producers and just laughed a little longer at all of his jokes,” Liepman said through tears.

“I would have thanked him for all that he’s taught me and given to all of you, the viewers, but that is now how life works out.”The station paid homage their to fallen colleague before a sister station in Austin took over for the remainder of the broadcast. “I simply can’t get through the newscast tonight, and I hope you understand,” Liepman concluded. His cause of death was not announced.Radcliffe, a California native, joined KCEN in 2002 as a sports anchor and went on to become the morning anchor for “Texas Today,” a daily morning show covering local news, entertainment, sports and weather, for nine years, according to KCEN.The acclaimed newscaster then became an evening news anchor, covering the latest headlines and breaking news for his central Texas audience.Over his two decades at the station, he notably covered the Baylor Men’s Basketball scandal, the Columbia breakup over Texas, the Lady Bears 3 National Championships, two Fort Hood shootings, the West Fertilizer Plant Explosion and the Twin Peaks biker shootout, the outlet reported.Radcliffe...