Tonight's 6:30 national news on ABC ws the final broadcast of Charles "Charlie" Gibson.
It was a weeklong goodbye, as Gibson said, "you may have heard a time or 6", with Gibson on each broadcast since Monday, sharing different memories of his long farewell.
Gibson, you'll remember, came in to the anchor job when ABC News was in trouble. The network had replaced the late, great Peter Jennings with two anchors -- Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas in 2006. But Woodruff was badly injured by an IED in Iraq, and Vargas got pregnant, and had to take a leave. In disarray, ABC pulled Gibson off of "Good Morning America," a gig, ironically, that was supposed to be temporary for he and Diane Sawyer.
Although the 6:30 news audience has diminished in audience, it's still a prestige job and the person behind the desk is considered the face of the network. Jennings, who died of lung cancer, was a cool, urbane figure. (I loved that man!) Gibson avuncular ways were nearly the opposite of that, and because of that he provided that old-school sense of paternalism that we just might have needed post 9/11. He helped the network news to stability, grew the audience a bit, and became a solid second to NBC's news helmed by Brian Williams.
Tonight, Gibson gave a very traditional farewell, using some of the same words Dan Rather used during his farewell at CBS. Gibson talked learning from his parents to not overstay his welcome, and said it was a privilege and an honor to work at ABC and give us the news. He invoked the names of past ABC anchors Peter Jennings and Frank Reynolds and said working at ABC was a labor of love.
He subtlly dissed the changing news climate (cable news stations!), saying that although objectivity isn't universally in favor, it is what his program strived for each night. He said we'd find the same quality with 'my pal' Diane Sawyer.
And then voice cracking, Gibson expressed his gratitude and said what he always said to us, that he hoped we had a good day.
After that, it was time for a taped farewell to Gibson from admirers, starting with presidents George Bush (who said retirement was pretty good) Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter; Hilary Clinton, John McCain (who said he could never tell if Gibson was a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or vegetarian) Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin sang 'Happy Trails', Wynton Marsalis said he expected to see Gibson swinging at the clubs more often.
His old GMA pals David Hartman, Joan Lunden and Spencer Christian said goodbye, as did chefs Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck. The Muppets, includng Kermit, and Mickey Mouse were in the (ABC) house, as were authors John Irving and Pat Conroy.
Sports figures Joe Theismann, Joe Gibbs and Mia Hamm said farewell and so did Sting (?), Jimmy Kimmel, Whoopi Goldberg and Julie Andrews. Even an astronaut.
His peers Katie Couric and Brian Williams gave praise, and finally President Barack Obama.
The tape ended and the staff of ABC News gave him a standing O. Facing them, sitting in his chair Charlie clapped back. And then he turned to us for the last time.
Assistant Features Editor Adrienne Johnson Martin would like to have her life turned into an animated cartoon. 
