Longtime New Orleans Saints public address announcer Jerry Romig died yesterday at his home in River Ridge, Louisiana. He was 86.

Romig was the Saints announcer for a total of 44 years, retiring in August of 2013. His health had been failing for several months, and cited health concerns, including injuries suffered at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in which he fell, as one reason for his retirement from the booth. His son Mark replaced him in the same position.

Mark told WWL-TV on Wednesday night that, "there were three loves in his (dad's) life -- Jan, his wife; his seven children and the Saints."

In a statement Wednesday, New Orleans Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said, "Jerry was a part of our family. One of my favorite days was putting a Super Bowl ring on his finger."

To honor Romig, the Saints and Superdome renamed the house control booth inside the facility the "Jerry Romig House Control Booth."

In addition to his duties with the Saints, Romig spent time working in the newspaper and television industries in addition to being a civic booster and public relations executive.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Janice, along with seven children, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Services will be held on Saturday at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Jefferson, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Goodwill Industries, Brother Martin High School or St. Mary's Dominican High School.

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