Longtime KENS Anchor Fred Lozano has died.

The station says that Lozano had been battling against leukemia for the past year and a half.

He started his career with KENS 5 in 1977 and became a household name over the next 35 years.

He was a fixture on the station's popular weekday morning newscast.

"Fred was truly one of the original journalists who lived and breathed news," said Vicki Buffolino, his longtime partner on the morning newscast. "He was always on top of his game, but what many night not know was that Fred was funny and loved to sing. He would often sing through the commercial breaks and keep us all laughing."

"Mostly though, Fred loved his family," she said. "He will be missed among those of us who loved him but also in the field for which he dedicated his life.'

Fred's ex-wife and former KENS 5 anchor Kelly Chapman tells us: "I lost my best friend and a great dad to our boys."

Fred Lozano was 67 years old.