CHEYENNE. - Across Wyoming, close friends and family of Curt Gowdy remembered the longtime sports announcer who died Monday at the age of 86 as a "great ambassador" for his native state.

Gowdy was born, raised and started his storied broadcasting career in Wyoming.

"We called him one of his native state's most vocal ambassadors," said Kevin McKinney, University of Wyoming associate athletics director.

Gowdy was born Green River in 1919 and was raised in Cheyenne. He graduated from UW in 1942 after earning three varsity letters in basketball and tennis. He began his broadcasting career a year later at KFBC in Cheyenne and was also a sports writer for the Wyoming Eagle.

Former UW sports announcer Larry Birleffi said he was the first to put Gowdy on the air while the budding star was still in college. It was during halftime at a high school basketball game when Birleffi sent an assistant to go interview the UW basketball player.

"He did well," Birleffi said. "I could see that he had the knack."

In 1946, Gowdy moved to Oklahoma to work for CBS radio affiliate KOMA. He went on to announce for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox as well as countless other sporting events throughout his career. He hosted the popular television show "The American Sportsman" for over 20 years.

Birleffi said he would often travel with Gowdy and that he was highly respected in the industry for his accuracy.

"He didn't elaborate or shout or anything," Birleffi said. "He had a low tone and the audience enjoyed it."

Friends said Gowdy always made a point to get back to his home state regularly. Andy Hoefer started working for Gowdy in 1966 and later co-owned two radio stations in Laramie - KOWB-AM and KCGY-FM - with Gowdy.

"He was a great owner, a great partner and a dear, dear friend," Hoefer said. "It's a sad day, but there will be years and years of great memories."

McKinney said Gowdy narrated highlight films for UW and as recently as last year narrated a video for the University of Wyoming basketball scoreboard.

"Anything we needed," he said.

Gowdy was inducted into the Wyoming Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998 and was a member of the 2004 inaugural class of the Wyoming Outdoor Hall of Fame.

"He never gave the impression that he was, you know, a national guy," McKinney said. "He was always a genuine, down- to-earth guy to me."

Gov. Dave Freudenthal said he remembered Gowdy as a friend to the state.

"I remember Curt as a legendary sportscaster, a true leader, a friend and help to Govs. Herschler and Sullivan and simply as a man who never stopped serving Wyoming," Freudenthal said in a statement.

Gowdy would fish with friends in Wyoming at least once a year, Birleffi and Hoefer said.

"He knew so much about fishing," Birleffi said. "It was a delight to watch him fish, especially fly fishing. There was quite an art in that. He was the best I'd ever seen."

In 1972, Wyoming named an 11,000-acre park between Cheyenne and Laramie after Gowdy. The state Legislature is considering a bill this session that would expand the size of that park.

Hoefer, who had been in regular contact with Gowdy the last few months, said Wyoming was never far from Gowdy's mind, even as he was dying.

"He always wanted to come back out and fish one more time in Wyoming," he said. "His last memories were always trying to get back to Wyoming to do some trout fishing."

Cheyenne resident Norma Morris, whose daughter is married to Curt Gowdy, Jr., said she could see Gowdy's death as imminent. She said Gowdy had looked good last year at the high school graduation of her twin granddaughters but had decided to stay in Florida over Christmas because the warm climate made him feel better.

"I could see it coming," she said of his death.

Funeral services for Gowdy will be held Saturday at the Trinity Church in Copley Square in Boston.