The EVT says Leptich, a longtime copy editor and report for the organization, died Monday of cancer:

A native of Chicago who frequented Wrigley Field where he met his wife-to-be in 1975, Leptich had relocated to Arizona in 1995 after working 16 years for the Chicago Tribune as a sports writer and sports copy editor. While there in 1984, he co-authored a book, This Date in St. Louis Cardinals History.

Leptich has been fighting cancer for five years—but kept working:

Last year, Leptich won first place in the Arizona Press Club’s writing contest, breaking news category, for a story about a woman who saved her six children from a burning house trailer. The story also won first place in the best news story category of the Associated Press Managing Editors/Arizona Newspaper Association’s writing contest.

Details on the funeral and donations are in the EVT obit.