Phila. reporter was full of soul, fun-loving man

By CHRISTINA MITCHELL • Courier-Post Staff • July 27, 2008 When TV news veteran Joe Sanchez rang in last New Year at the home of a longtime colleague, he made an impression even on guests who had never met him. "Everybody thought he was so funny," remembers his host, Barbara Monaco, a former reporter for Channel 3 in Philadelphia. "He really was the life of the party." Sanchez, one of the first Hispanic, on-air reporters in Philadelphia -- first at Channel 6, then at Channel 3 -- died of a sudden heart attack June 18. He was 60. At the time of his death, Sanchez was a freelance editor at NBC 10. Current and former colleagues who recall his fun-loving side also remember Sanchez as one of the most energetic and soulful reporters on the intensely competitive TV beat. "Joe was a great reporter," said Tony Leon, a retired... [read full story]