Joseph Granahan Jr., 82, radio host, athlete

Joseph A. Granahan Jr., 82, a founder of the former Mount Airy real estate firm Granahan, Martin & Campbell, a radio host, and a competitive athlete into his 70s, died of cancer Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Philadelphia Protestant Home, a retirement community in Lawndale.

A son, Thomas, wrote in biographical notes that Mr. Granahan and his wife, Christine, had a Saturday morning radio program - The Chris Granahan Irish Hour - from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. The show began on WTMR-AM in Camden and moved to WIBF-FM in Jenkintown.

"They had quite the following among the Irish community," Thomas Granahan wrote. "My mom would run the show and choose the music, while my dad served as the cohost."

Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Granahan graduated from La Salle College High School in 1947 and earned a bachelor's degree in business at what is now La Salle University in 1951.

Mr. Granahan was a star pitcher on his neighborhood, high school, and college baseball teams.

In 1949, the Hillers, his team in the Chestnut Hill Athletic Association, won the Connie Mack League championship, his son wrote, "and traveled to Youngstown, Ohio, for a national tournament. He was the MVP of that team."

His 1951 college team was cochampion of the Middle Atlantic Conference, his son wrote.

At one game, he asked a scout for a professional team what the scout thought of his pitching.

" 'I keep waiting for you to start throwing the ball harder,' the scout said. 'When they start hitting it, I'll start throwing it,' my dad replied."

During the Korean War, Mr. Granahan served in a special services unit in West Germany, playing on its baseball team.

Later, Thomas Granahan said, "a bum shoulder ended any chance of continuing his baseball career."

Mr. Granahan "founded his firm in the late 1960s," his son wrote, "and it was wound down in the late 1990s. He continued to work as a real estate salesperson after that, up until about 2005."

Between 2003 and 2007 at the National Senior Games, Mr. Granahan played for the softball team that represented Pennsylvania for three years. He ran the 100-yard dash in the two other years.

In the 2007 Penn Relays, his son said, Mr. Granahan ran the 100-yard dash for those 75 and older.

Besides his son and wife, Mr. Granahan is survived by a son, Joseph III; daughters Colleen and Sheila; a brother; two sisters; and nine grandchildren.

Viewings were set from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the William R. May Funeral Home, 354 Easton Rd., Glenside, and from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, at St. Luke the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, Easton Road and Fairhill Avenue, Glenside, before a Funeral Mass there.