ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- What stood out first about Ben Herrera, who died Friday following a brief illness, was his voice.
Born in Columbia in 1940, Herrera worked on the radio there before coming to America. Herrera retired from Kodak after 30 years, but was known to the public, especially the Latino community, as the longtime producer and host of "Que Pasa" on WXXI, and later, as producer and anchor of the Spanish news segment "R-Mundo" on our station.
"His inflections were very signature. It was very personal," said Eugenio Marlin, who met Herrera through their radio connections. "He kept himself very in tune with the pulse of the community."
He remembers Ben as diligent and sincere, someone who was involved in many aspects of the community, Latino and beyond. It showed in his reporting.
"That was very significant. It was an opportunity that we had in the community to showcase things that we had and he was very diligent in looking for the story."
Family members say Herrera had been in good health, but a week before his death, was hospitalized for heart surgery.
Herrera is survived by Nancy, his wife of 47 years, their two sons and numerous other family and friends, not to mention the countless people he interviewed, and a beloved, loyal audience.
Benjamin Herrera was 75.