Richard Hake, the calm, trusted voice of WNYC’s “Morning Edition,” passed away suddenly on Friday at the age of 51.

Hake died at home of natural causes, his family told the city’s radio station, which confirmed the death in a statement Friday night.

Hake worked for WNYC for nearly 30 years as a host, reporter, and producer, the station said, covering the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the 2003 blackout, Superstorm Sandy and the coronavirus pandemic along the way.

“He was the guy we could throw into the studio with a moment’s notice to try and divine the facts of a moving situation and impart that information to our listeners,” noted “Morning Edition” editor Nancy Solomon.