Longtime NPR Producer Jim Lesher Dies At 46

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Our newsroom fell silent for a moment today. We learned someone we have counted on for more than 20 years was gone.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

Our colleague Jim Lesher died this morning of stomach cancer. He was just shy of his 47th birthday. The silence didn't last long, as the staff began recalling what made Jim Jim.

CORNISH: His official title was associate editor. It should have been problem solver.

BLOCK: You need a clip of the president from a news conference five years ago? He had you covered. Need to file a report from any corner of the world? You call Jim. His attention to detail knew no bounds. As one of our colleagues said, Jim was the Radar O'Reilly character from MASH, only real.

CORNISH: Another shared this. If you knew your favorite comic book artist - and that's something Jim would know - he'd surprise you with obscure back issues.

BLOCK: And for me, it was "NYPD Blue." I probably still have VHS tapes somewhere labeled in his handwriting. He would pass them along to me without my even asking, in case I missed an episode. NPR's Jim Lesher died today at the age of 46.

CORNISH: Another thing about Jim - he loved Queen. Jim, this one's for you.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOMEBODY TO LOVE")

QUEEN: (Singing) Can anybody find me somebody to love? Find me somebody to love. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.