Longtime San Antonio radio news anchor Brent Boller passed away on Monday after a long battle with cancer. He was 63.
Boller most recently worked as a newscaster on Texas Public Radio. Since 2015, he had served as an anchor for "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered," interviewed candidates on election nights and helped in the studios during pledge drives. He was last on the air during election night coverage in November 2019.
He anchored morning drivetime on KTSA from 1996 to 2009 before becoming the media spokesman for Joint Base San Antonio.
Boller served in the Air Force. He worked for Armed Forces Radio and broadcast from Greenland and Icleand. He was a public relations officer from 1986 to 1996. He also served in Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf War. He retired as a captain.
He often explored veterans issues in his newscasts. In 2016, he hosted a special Veterans Day episode of "Dare to Listen" and discussed the issue of young women registering for the Selective Service System when they turned 18.
TPR's President and CEO Joyce Slocum mourned Boller on Monday night.
"He was truly one of the Good Guys," she wrote on Boller's Facebook page. "Always upbeat and concerned about others. We'll miss that dazzling smile. On the professional side, his voice and delivery were amazing. Deepest condolences to his family, of whom he always spoke with great love and pride."
Air Force Maj. Kim T. Bender, director of public affairs for 502nd Air Base Wing at Joint Base San Antonio, celebrated Boller as "the public face and voice of Joint Base San Antonio for many years and earned the respect and admiration of everyone he worked with."
She added that his "dedication had a lasting effect on the way JBSA interacts with our surrounding communities, and we were all deeply saddened to hear of his passing."
Boller studied communications at Texas State University and later at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a graduate degree.
He is survived by his wife Jean and daughter McKenna. Funeral arrangements were pending.
Fernando Ortiz Jr. contributed to this report.
Brian Kirkpatrick can be reached at Brian@TPR.org and on Twitter at @TPRBrian.
Steve Short can be reached at Steve@TPR.org.
