Len Ihlenfeldt, who for more than 50 years was a mainstay at WBAY, Channel 2, as a director in the news control room, died Tuesday night. He was 76.

“I’m something like a quarterback,” Ihlenfeldt told the Press-Gazette in July 2007, shortly before he retired at 75.

In his early career at WBAY, he was aboard for entertainment shows with such personalities as Captain Hal, Colonel Caboose, Bobby Nelson and Cousin Fuzzy.

Ihlenfeldt received an on-air tip of the hat Sunday during the Green Bay Packers game from Fox play-by-play announcer Joe Buck recognizing his sideline work for all the TV networks for more than 30 years.

Ihlenfeldt was the go-between man who relayed word from the network booth to referees that it was time for a commercial break. One of his thrills was working in that capacity for the 1999 Super Bowl, he said.

Late in life, Ihlenfeldt returned to playing trombone. He called joining the Allouez Village Band “probably the best thing I ever did. It took my mind off of television.”

Ihlenfeldt died at his Allouez home. He had been battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Barbara; a son; a son-in-law; five grandchildren; two stepgrandsons, his mother, Gertrude; and other family members.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at St. Matthew's Catholic Church, 130 St. Matthew's St., Allouez, with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. Visitation will resume from 9 to 10:15 a.m. Saturday at the church, to be followed at 10:30 a.m. by a Mass of Christian Burial.