Last night was a hard one for Action News viewers.

Legendary WPVI news anchor Jim Gardner sat at the news desk for the last time to host the 11 o'clock news on Tuesday night (Jan. 11th). If you're a longtime resident of the Philadelphia and South Jersey regions, it felt like the end of an era. Indeed, it was.

It was announced yesterday that Rick Williams will replace Jim as he takes the first steps to retirement. For those of you, like me, who are only old enough to know Jim as the main anchor at 11 p.m., it's definitely going to be a different experience until we all get used to it. However, anchor Rick Williams is an EXCELLENT choice to fill the big shoes Jim's left behind.

When giving his final farewell from that time slot, Jim shared sentiments expressing how thankful he is for all the time he's spent broadcasting in the Delaware Valley. He said he's grateful for the relationships he's built with us, the audience. He thanks us for putting our trust in him to deliver honest reporting.

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Jim isn't off our screens forever just yet, though. He isn't completely stepping into retirement until the end of this year, so you'll still see him behind the desk of the 6 o'clock news. If this sign-off was emotional to watch, just imagine what it'll feel like when Jim says goodbye to Philly and South Jersey for good.

In case you missed it, check out the video of Jim Gardner's sign-off from Action News at 11 below:

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