Mitch Glicken

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Mitch Glicken

Remembering Mitch Glicken

WTOC lost a dear friend over the weekend. Our former executive producer and sports anchor Mitch Glicken died after a long illness.

Mitch was with WTOC for 19 years and had a hand in nearly everything the station did during that time. He died at home in his sleep Saturday night. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Sandy, and son, Matthew, during this difficult time.

Mitch was many things; a solid family man, a man of deep faith, and a man given to unbridled enthusiasm for everything he did.

Mitch had matchless energy in delivering sports reports. He was widely known and loved for full-volume, high-energy reports from the sidelines of Georgia Southern Eagles football games.

How did he do that? Capturing the moment--in the moment--with genuine emotion, that fabulous voice and perfect execution. Well, that was just Mitch.

He readily admitted he wasn't the least bit objective about some sports stories, particularly those involving GSU. He was a Georgia Southern fan, period.

"The fun and the excitement and just the energy of all of it, he really captured," said Olympic weightlifting medalist Cheryl Haworth. "And I think he did that with just about everything he ever reported on."

Haworth was more than a story. Mitch just loved her and he genuinely embraced her dream. "One thing that comes to mind is my homecoming from Sydney, the first Olympics," Haworth said. "He was there the whole way. You know, I got to share my experience with Savannah because he loaned me a camera."

More than anything, Mitch really cared about the people. The high school athletes and everybody else that made for WTOC's Fabulous Football Friday telecast, Friday nights at 11:35pm, were top priorities for Mitch. He loved showcasing individual performances, tense rivalries and big games. But, he also encouraged photographers to include the cheerleaders, the bands and the fans.

The Heritage of Golf tournament on Hilton Head Island challenged Mitch to explore innovative ways to highlight the action. For years, he smashed a golf drive off the tee at Harbour Town timed precisely to coincide with the ceremonial cannon blast, marking the start of the spring tourney.

WTOC's feature coverage and special programming from Hilton Head would invariably find Mitch on someone's grand yacht, or perhaps strolling the greens with the greats in professional golf, many of whom knew Mitch very well personally, and seemed to take delight in joining him for brief moments of whimsy to break the tension of competition.

"He was a dear friend," said George Breed of Sea Pines. "He was a gentleman. He was a dedicated, loving father and husband. I remember many years, he would bring his son over to enjoy the tournament and watch what Dad did, and it was just a joy to watch and be a part of."

Our own operations director Craig Harney knows exactly what Breed was talking about. "Mitch and me and Doug and Jody and Francis Chalmers in traffic and a couple other staffers all has our babies at the same time when we were over on Abercorn," Harney said. "I think we've all turned out to be pretty good parents. I like to think we are anyway, but Mitch really excelled at being a parent. Matthew is really his pride and joy. Matthew would go along on shoots and Matthew would be a part of his TV production. Mitch's heart and soul were Sandy and Matthew, but Matthew especially. He was a great dad."

Mitch, the ample man with the full-blast voice shared the real thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, drawing on his most amazing attribute of all, that immensely loveable and loving heart. The meaning behind the games of sport, and life, how he got it, embraced it and shouted it with an honest unvarnished glee that could make you enjoy something you didn't even understand.

"The loss of Mitch Glicken is going to be felt for many, many years to come," said Breed.

"It hurts, but only good memories, only good memories," said Haworth. "He was a wonderful man, and I think, if not all, most of Savannah will certainly miss him."

Beyond sports, Mitch Glicken's imprint could be found on virtually anything under the WTOC banner for nearly two decades. His pride in WTOC was stated openly and without reservation. He was first to boast about the excellence viewers should expect from "The Big Red Eleven."

Mitch Glicken was 43 years old.

Mitch Glicken's Life Celebrated at Memorial Service

Our friend Mitch Glicken passed away last weekend after a long illness. The former WTOC sportscaster and executive producer--more importantly, father and husband--was remembered at a memorial service at Savannah Christian Church today.

There are so many stories that are just Mitch, and boy did Mitch love a good story. He brought a smile to so many faces and touched so many hearts. And many just had to say a final goodbye.

"Just his energy, it's certainly something you don't forget, that type of energy, the zeal for life that he had," recalled Olympic medalist Cheryl Haworth.

Her story, and those of professional golfer Davis Love III, star Georgia Southern running back Adrian Peterson, and many others--Mitch told all their stories and with the same passion as that with which he would introduce us to a high schooler he met covering a story for Fabulous Football Friday.

"From the smallest person to the biggest person, Mitch loved them all," recalled former WTOC anchor Doug Weathers.

Weathers is the reason Mitch moved to Savannah from Ohio. "I hired Mitch in the mid '80s," Weathers told the assembly at today's service. "He likes to say I hired him sight unseen, and he says I hired him over the telephone and he's right."

All through Mitch's life and career, he made people feel good about themselves. An unselfish man of unquestionable integrity, and just plain fun.

Sonny Dixon brought fond recollections to the dozens of current and former WTOC employees in attendance when he imitated Mitch's enthusiastic call of support to coworkers: "You can do it!"

There will never be another Mitch. Last year, he went from preaching sporting news to preaching the good news. "Mitch was a strong Christian man who loved the Lord," said Jim Bolen of Savannah Christian Church. "It consumed his being."

"You just knew that he was pushing himself the most," said Dixon. "Saying, 'You can do it.' Well, better than anybody we will ever know, Mitch dear brother, you did it."

Mitch is survived by his wife Sandy and their son Matthew. He was only 43 years old.

A college fund has been set up for Matthew Glicken. Contributions to the Matthew Glicken account may be made at any SunTrust Bank.

Anyone wishing to mail a check to be deposited in the Custodial Savings Account for Matthew Glicken may do so, using the following address:

SunTrust
P.O. 8668
Savannah, GA 31412
Attention: Heather Ginn, Suite 590

Reported by: Michelle Paynter, mpaynter@wtoc.com

Obituary

SAVANNAH -- Mitch B. Glicken, 43, of Savannah, a former news reporter and producer at WTOC-TV, died Sunday, Feb. 26, 2006.

He was born Jan. 29, 1963, in Euclid, Ohio.

Mr. Glicken was a 1985 graduate of Ashland College, where he served as the sports director for the college's radio and television stations.

In 1986, he became the first producer of The News at 5 p.m., in addition to producing the 11 p.m. newscast. During his tenure at WTOC, he was honored with awards from the Georgia Associated Press for his reporting and producing skills.

His career with WTOC ended in 2005. Since then he had been pursuing a graduate degree in pastoral studies through Johnson Bible College. In addition, he had been a volunteer with The Journey, Marriage Ministry and Savannah Men of Integrity at Savannah Christian Church.

Among his survivors are his wife of 19 years, Sandra; a son, Matthew; his mother and stepfather, Carol and Joe Mazzola; and his father and stepmother, Bill and Patti Glicken.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Savannah Christian Church.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Savannah Christian Church. Further services and interment will take place in Ohio.

Memorial contributions may be made to RSDSA, P.O. Box 502, Milford, CT 06464; or to Savannah Christian Church, Imagine Campaign "The LINK," 55 Al Henderson Blvd., Savannah, GA 31419.

Hubert C. Baker Funeral Home in Savannah is in charge of arrangements.