Longtime WDIV anchor and reporter Steve Garagiola has announced his retirement after 27 years with the station.
Garagiola made the news public in a Facebook post on Wednesday -- here’s what he had to say:
Those of you who know me well, know that I am not one for long emotional goodbyes. So, I have waited until now to post this. My hope is to avoid the question, “Hey, whatever happened to Steve?”
I am retiring. My final day on the air at Local-4 is this coming Sunday (12/5).
My professional journey in TV news began at Channel 10 in Lansing in the summer of 1977. For the past 27 years, Local-4 has been my TV family where I have had the pleasure of working with many of the most talented, honest, and dedicated people in this industry. I will miss that, and miss regular contact with all of those good people. I’ll have to surrender my key card for the back door... but hope I will always be welcome to visit.
I will continue to see some of you at Kroger, Home Depot, or possibly a sporting event where (like you) I will be attending as a fan. Metro Detroit is our home and always will be. Retirement will certainly present more opportunity to escape winter for brief respites, but the spirit of this community will always call us home.
I’ll end this with a thank you to those of you who (over the years) have inspired me with your stories of courage, strength, and generosity. Now I am eager to discover what adventures await in this next chapter. - Steve Garagiola
WDIV News Director Kim Voet, in a memo to the newsroom, said: “Every once in a while, a special person comes along who changes the world around them. Steve Garagiola certainly did that in his 27 years at Local 4/ClickonDetroit. He’s made an incredible impact in our newsroom.”
Congrats on your retirement, Steve!