Philadelphia and its journalism community is mourning the loss of Dan McQuade. He is remembered for his creative writing around Philly’s quirks, sports and culture going back almost 20 years.
McQuade died this week at age 43 after a battle with neuroendocrine cancer. He wrote about his “uncommon diagnosis” for Defector, where he had worked since 2020.
He detailed his treatments – including radiation, tests and surgeries. In 2025, he wrote that he had hope, but that there was a “very little chance” he’d ever be cured.
McQuade leaves behind a wife and 2-year-old son.
McQuade grew up locally, went to the University of Pennsylvania, and started his career as one of Philly’s OG bloggers in 2005. He started with Philadelphia Weekly and continued with stints at Philly Mag, Deadspin and Sports Illustrated.
He is remembered by his colleagues as a “truly authentic and engaging” person with “deep and meaningful” community connections.
McQuade’s genius was his unique, curious takes on the region’s rites and rituals. Some Redditors referenced his annual roundup of Jersey Shore T-shirts as “a highlight of late summer.”
Another iconic story was the Rocky Run piece, where he mapped out the routes that Rocky could have traveled in his marathon training montage run in Rocky II. McQuade used a USA Track and Field distance-measuring tool to retrace the steps Rocky could’ve taken. It was “classic” McQuade.
McQuade could do serious, too. He was instrumental in reporting on Bill Cosby. McQuade attended a Hannibal Burress show in 2014, where the comedian called Cosby a rapist. The story went viral, leading to a further spotlight on the issue as Cosby went through assault allegations.
Other colleagues recalled McQuade as a “legend,” a “talented and creative writer” and as someone who “captured Philadelphia’s quirks better than anyone.”
In a post Wednesday evening, Defector’s Editor-In-Chief Tom Ley honored the late McQuade, describing how he “never lost his enthusiasm or spirit” despite the rigors of treatment. As a tribute and remembrance, Defector is featuring Dan’s work on its homepage. Philly Mag is doing the same.
