Bill Mitchell, who retired as a reporter for Tulsa, OK, ABC affiliate KTUL in December died Friday after a long illness.

“We are mourning the loss of a great reporter and friend today,” KTUL general manager Pat Baldwin said. “Bill loved the station and our viewers. He was a hard worker and taught us all how to find news stories. He will always be part of the Channel 8 family.”

Mitchell started at KTUL in 1972. In 1982, he moved to KARK in Little Rock, AR, for one year before working at KOCO in Oklahoma City for 11 years. Mitchell came back to KTUL in 1994 where he worked until December 2012. Read more

After more than four decades as a TV reporter, Bill Mitchell said his final goodbye to Tulsa viewers on KTUL Friday.

During his 43 years in television news, Mitchell worked for Tulsa’s NBC Affiliate KJRH, Little Rock’s KARK and KOCO in Oklahoma City, in addition to two stints at the Tulsa ABC affiliate.

During an interview with Keith Taylor on the KTUL morning show, Mitchell said he told KTUL president and general manager Pat Baldwin, “You know I hate to leave. This is one of the greatest TV stations in the world to work in.” Mitchell then said, “But I’m going to.”

When Mitchell announced his retirement in November, Baldwin said of Mitchell, “He has been a member of our Channel 8 family for over 18 years. He will be missed here on Lookout Mountain but we are also excited for him and his wife.” You can watch a farewell video montage the station put together spanning his career after the jump. Read more