Longtime WJHG anchor Joe Moore, who spent four decades at the Panama City, Fla., NBC affiliate, has died. The station reports Moore died Wednesday morning at a local hospital from complications following a stroke he suffered last Friday. Moore was 72.
When Moore retired in 2014, his colleagues described him as a legend–and a solid, no-frills reporter and anchor:
“Joe is one of the old school type news person that you can trust” says Buddy Wilkes, former WJHG Anchor. “Joe had a passion for his work like no one I had ever seen. So if you really wanted to know what having a strong work ethic and passion was, all you had to do was watch Joe Moore.
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After WJHG, Moore ran for mayor of Panama City Beach, and spent time with his two daughters, Molly Cromwell and Monica Moore. After Moore was hospitalized, the family expressed their gratitude for the community’s support:
“My sister and I just want to thank everyone for the amazing outpouring of love,” Cromwell said. “It’s helped us not feel alone.”
Cromwell called the stroke a “total shock.” Since retiring from WJHG in May 2014, where he had been a news anchor since 1971, Moore got a new dog and had begun taking it for frequent walks. He was making healthier choices and had lost a lot of weight.
“We thought he was going in the right direction,” Cromwell said.