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Bruce Avery Dies, Led WRHU for 28 Years

Colleagues and students remember a mentor and coach

Bruce Avery talks to student journalists on election day i 2018
Bruce Avery, left, talks with students of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication on election day in 2018.

Bruce Avery is being remembered as a mentor and teacher during 28 years as general manager at WRHU Radio Hofstra University.

Avery died on Saturday at age 69 after a long illness, according to the university,

“He presided over a period of unprecedented growth and success, while serving as a coach and counselor for thousands of students,” the school said in its announcement.

President Susan Poser said Avery was “dedicated to his craft and to the university in myriad ways, as an expert in his field, a teacher, a colleague and friend to so many.”

The station won numerous awards including four NAB Marconi Awards. In 2021, it was the first student-run station to win the World Radio Day Award from the Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences of America. It’s the flagship station for four professional sports franchises, including the New York Islanders.

Former station manager Rachel Luscher was quoted saying, “WRHU defined my college experience, and that feeling spans decades of alums because of the culture that Bruce created. He always taught me it’s a people place first. We’re a family – because of him.”

Avery was also known for his work as a television meteorologist on Long Island.

Funeral services are scheduled for Jan. 21. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that donations be made to the Bruce Avery Endowed Scholarship Fund at Hofstra University. Email amy.reich@hofstra.edu for information.

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