The family of veteran political journalist Ken Reid have thanked the public for their “lovely tributes and kind words”.
It was announced on Wednesday that the 69-year-old passed away in hospital after a long illness.
A mainstay of our TV screens for several decades, he had retired from UTV in 2021 after 27 years with the broadcaster.
In 2017, he revealed he had been diagnosed with a form of leukaemia.
The First and deputy First Ministers led tributes yesterday as there was a huge outpouring of tributes and memories from across the political spectrum as well as colleagues past and present following the news of his death.
Mr Reid started his journalism career at the News Letter where served as sports editor, and later editor, of the Sunday News from 1984 to 1987.
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He joined the Cork Examiner from 1987 to 1994 before joining UTV, where as political editor he covered some of Northern Ireland’s biggest moments, including the 1998 Belfast Agreement.
In 2017, Mr Reid was diagnosed with a form of leukaemia “almost by accident” after going for a check-up with a podiatrist about a foot infection.
Following his diagnosis, he campaigned for blood charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI, becoming a patron for the group in 2023.
A statement posted on X on Thursday read: “The Reid family would like to thank everyone for the lovely tributes and kind words
“They have been a great source to comfort.”
Yesterday First Minister Michelle O’Neill recalled a “true giant in local journalism” while deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said he was “a well known face to so many generations”.