CLEVELAND — Matt Loede, a veteran Cleveland sports writer, has died following a two-year battle with cancer, his wife announced Wednesday. Loede has been a familiar name in Cleveland sports journalism since 1994 and most recently worked for NEO Sports Insiders.
"Matt’s two plus year battle with cancer has come to an end and today he is with the Lord," his wife Shanna said. "This early mornings cardiac arrest led to a lack of oxygen to his brain for approximately 50 minutes that resulted in brain damage, bleeding in his lungs, and kidney shut down. He was surrounded by love as he passed."
Loede shared in January that despite numerous rounds of chemotherapy, his cancer still remained in three small spots. Throughout his battles, Loede remained positive and was an inspiration to many along the way.
"He was funny, sweet, generous, loyal, faith filled and he had a talent for bringing people together. He made my life beautiful. He was and will always be the love of my life. Please keep his parents, brothers, and our families and friends in your prayers," his wife said.
Earlier this year, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson sent Loede a video with words of encouragement after finding out about his battle. Loede shared the video on Twitter, thanking Johnson for taking the time to record it and sending it to him, calling it the "gift of a lifetime."
"You inspire a lot of people around you—everyone around you, you inspire, including myself," Johnson said. "So now I'm your fan man, I'm probably your biggest fan—literally your biggest fan," Johnson told Loede in February.
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