MISSOULA — The KPAX family is mourning the sudden loss of longtime colleague and friend Mark Thorsell, who passed away last month.
Thorsell started at KPAX in 2006 and helped build the online presence for KPAX and MTN. He launched the station's social media channels and led KPAX through several digital transformations, drinking more than his fair share of coffee along the way.
Known as a quiet fixture in the newsroom who was always tapping away on his computer, Thorsell was funny and had a wealth of knowledge to share with anyone who asked. He was fiercely loyal and proved he had his colleagues' backs every single day.
The cornerstone of his life was his family, and all roads led back to his wife, Christi. He was fiercely protective of his two daughters and two young granddaughters. His favorite job was being a "grumpa."
Every Sunday, Thorsell would get his favorite coffee and buy the New York Times at the Orange Street Food Farm.
He grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a journalism degree. Thorsell spent several years in Hartford working as a news, sports, and traffic reporter in radio.
He made some of his most meaningful contributions in Connecticut radio at CRIS, a free, 24-hour radio reading service for the blind and visually impaired.
Colleagues often called on his journalism expertise, such as when the Megaloads came through town.
"News must be fair, honest and unbiased. My job is to report the facts and to also inform people on the issues of the day," Thorsell said.
Watch: Remembering Mark Thorsell
