Who would you put on the Mount Rushmore of Denver news anchors in your lifetime – living or not? To be clear, I’m talking specifically about news anchors and not meteorologists or sportscasters, because that would be far, far too many faces carved into a mountain. So no Mike Nelson. No Ron Zappolo. No Les Shapiro.

It’s true that some meteorologists and sportscasters eventually became anchors, but for the purposes of this story, we’re only talking about anchors.

For me it is first and foremost Bob Palmer. His voice shaped my childhood. I would also add Bill Stuart, Adele Arakawa and Ward Lucas.

Ward Lucas has passed away at the age of 75. He retired from 9News in Denver in 2009 after working for the station for more than 30 years as a reporter and anchor, covering some of the biggest stories of our time in the state of Colorado and beyond.

The crazy thing is, I can still hear his voice even when I don’t listen to any of the videos 9News released in his honor! Their voices, as well as those of the others I’ve also mentioned, echoed through living rooms and kitchens across the state for so many years that it really doesn’t take much to get the sound of their voices stuck in your head.

Lucas retired in 2009 and went on to become a successful author. After his retirement, he wrote three more books and added over 70 broadcast awards, including 11 Emmys, to his list of accomplishments.

For more information about his life and career, visit the 9News website.