Pete Coutros, a former sports writer and columnist for The Post, died Monday from heart failure at Dumont Nursing Home in New Rochelle. He was 86.

Coutros spent most of his career at the Daily News before moving to The Post in the early 1980s. At The Post, he wrote a TV sports column and a popular “Whatever Happened To …” feature, among other topics. He also worked the desk, and is remembered as a word-wizard rewrite man. He retired in the mid-’90s.

Coutros also was an adamant and longtime supporter of New York newspaper unions, joining picket lines many times and often butting heads with anyone who disagreed with his hard-line liberal views.

“He was someone who never held his opinions back,” said Amy Bartlett, 38, his only child.

“He was someone who did what he thought was right, even if that meant losing friends at times.”

Born in Manhattan, Coutros grew up during the Depression as one of seven children and found his calling when he started to work for newspapers in the ’50s.

His daughter remembers him coming home from work and recounting newsroom tales in the most romantic terms, always cherishing his time with the friends he made in the business.

“His true love was the newspaper business,” Amy recalled.

Peter Vecsey, now The Post’s national basketball columnist, remembers joining the Daily News in 1960 and meeting Coutros, who then was a fiery editor.

“He was as quick with his wit as he was with his fists,” said Vecsey, who joined The Post in 1977 and was pleased when Coutros joined him later.

“The thing you noticed most about him were his original Coke-bottle glasses. You knew Pete was serious when he took those glasses off, which happened a lot.”

Two of Coutros’ sisters survive him — Georgia Balis and Connie Veres. He also is survived by his wife, Carmen, whom he married in October 1967; and four granddaughters, Gillian, 7, Carys, 5, Aurelia, 4, and Emeri, 2.

A wake is scheduled for Friday at Westchester Funeral Home, 190 Main St., Eastchester, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A chapel service is planned for Saturday at 1 p.m. at Woolworth Chapel at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, followed by a graveside funeral.