Pete Waldmeir, a legendary Detroit News writer who covered major mid-20th century sporting events across the globe before becoming a venerable news columnist over a career that spanned half a century, died Monday morning following four months of hospice care. He was 92.

“He really was a must-read in Detroit newspapers," [ex metro editor Julie] Diebolt said. "Pete was a tell-it-like-it-is columnist. He was pretty fearless. He kind of loved to take on the big guys.”

He skewered politicians from both parties — once calling a husky Gov. John Engler “the Rotund One” — and let unsympathetic characters have it, particularly Detroit’s business moguls.

Waldmeir once investigated Young for taking a vacation in Jamaica, earning the newspaper columnist a profanity-laced tongue-lashing from hizzoner.

“That sona----- Waldmeir followed me down to Jamaica. All I can say is I wish that mother------ had caught me,” Young is quoted as saying in Bill McGraw’s book, The Quotations of Mayor Coleman A. Young. “I’m mayor of nothing down here. It would be just two crazy Americans fighting in the alley.”

RIP, Pete.