Longtime KPIX Anchor Dies

Sad news from KPIX this morning: former anchor Dave McElhatton has died.

McElhatton, or "Mac" as he was commonly known, died early Monday morning, according to the KPIX Website.

McElhatton was a true local news fixture here in the Bay Area. He was born in Oakland and got a job at KCBS-radio right out of college in 1951.

In 1977 left radio for the television anchor desk.  That's where he sat until 2000.

He walked the Bay Area through stories such as the 1978 assassination of Mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk to the kidnapping of Polly Klass to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

His good-bye to the television audience came on Nov. 30, 2000.  It came as a surprise to just about everyone, because he announced it one day prior.

"It's been a wonderful 50 years doing what I always wanted to do -- work in broadcasting. And the frosting on the cake was to find out it was even better than I dared hope," McElhatton said.

After he retired he moved to Palm Springs.  He had a mild stroke in 2004, but was said to have recovered.

Dave McElhatton's son Terry McElhatton was a new director at KNTV for several years but he passed away of a heart attack in June 2008.

KPIX says McElhatton died of complications from a stroke. He was 81-years-old.

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