Goodbye, Kathy Romano!

Everybody leaves one day
I know it hurts
Everybody goes away
You will, too, I will, too

It is hard to put into words someone leaving something that they have been a part of for over 20 years.  In turn, they have been a part of your life for over 20 years.  Like they say on the show, “a family.”  When they tell you that you are a part of that family, it cuts deeper.  And let’s preface this by saying no one has died, no one got hurt…physically.  However, it felt like someone going off into the sunset, or your best friend moving away when you were young, before the internet was what it is today, and it was harder to keep in touch.  

Kathy Romano came into the fold in 2003 after working for NBC 10, and very quickly endeared herself to her co-hosts and listeners of the top-rated morning show.  When Preston and Steve left Y100, which shut down the next day, they refused to go to WMMR without Kathy.  That is family.  It wasn’t lost on the many listeners that she was local and proud.  Kathy was perceived as “just the traffic girl,” which is insulting on so many levels, but Kathy did more than that… much more.

Kathy was the in-arena host for the Sixers, as well as an interviewer on Comcast Sportsnet.  She acted in several movies and TV shows, including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  She hosted her show and podcast called “Her Story.”  She worked with the ladies on the Totally Office Calendars, and just last week, she hosted the 16th annual Kathy’s Cuts that benefited Wigs For Kids, where in a little over 4 hours, 80 donations were made, totalling 1,567 donations in those 16 years.

On a personal level, I am beyond honored to have known Kathy Romano.  We have shared TV time, dinner, drinks, and many laughs over the years.  The show as a whole could have blown me off when this site started and I began building this site, but they didn’t.  They embraced me, advertised the site, and let me into their family.  I am beyond proud to have been welcomed with open arms by Kathy.  Anytime I went in, I was greeted by a hug and a smile.  That is a big deal to me, as I have gone through the last 25 years of my life with her and the rest of the Preston and Steve Show. 

Though Kathy will never not be working, the loss of this family member is a profound one.  Her laugh and smile are contagious, and her voice guided the Delaware Valley for a lifetime.  Though we, the listeners, will always support the morning show, I also cannot wait to support Kathy at whatever she does next, wherever that is.

I love you Kathy, and thank you for everything that you have done!

-Dan