KTVU anchor Dennis Richmond has died. He was 81.

Richmond was described as “the quintessential newsman of four decades” by the Fox owned Oakland station.

His friends told KTVU he died in Grass Valley, California with his wife, Deborah at his side. She was holding his hand until the end, friends said. 

Richmond was one of the nation’s first Black anchors of a major market TV newscast. He joined KTVU as a clerk and was named anchor in 1976, a job he held until 2008.

“Dennis was a strong presence in the KTVU newsroom for decades, guiding the team and setting high standards for himself and his colleagues in everything they did,” KTVU general manager Mellynda Hartel said.  “His impact is still felt in the KTVU newsroom today.”

Julie Haener, Richmond’s long time co-anchor, visited him two months ago in the hospital after he had suffered a heart attack and fall.

“He was a fighter,” she said. “He held on for as long as he could. He was so respected. This news is going to hit people really, really hard.” 

Richmond also co-anchored alongside Barbara Simpson, Elaine Corral and Leslie Griffith, who died in 2022. 

The station said that under Richmond, the Ten O’Clock news became the Bay Area’s top-rated nightly newscast, a title the station still holds to this day. 

Richmond was so iconic, that he was one of the famous Bay Area folk featured in wallpaper made by The Lonely Island and Oakland artist Matt Ritchie in 2016.