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Albuquerque Journal Associate Sports Editor Mike Hall, whose familiar and friendly style made his work a staple to readers throughout New Mexico, died of pneumonia early this morning. He was 61.

Hall was a former Tribune sports editor, city editor and sports columnist from 1983-88. He then led the Journal's sports section for nearly a decade, and spent the remainder of his career covering the University of New Mexico women's basketball program.

UNM coach Don Flanagan credited Hall's work with helping popularize the women's game with readers who had grown up following the men's team.

"Early on, there was a time when there was no coverage of our program whatsoever, and Mike changed all of that," Flanagan said.

"He started to develop interest in the program. He found out about things like who we were recruiting on his own and gave our recruits attention they never got before," Flanagan continued. "Through his expertise, he was able to do a lot of other things to date no one else had done before in covering our program. His work certainly created a great interest in the community."

Hall's wife, Sondra, said her husband battled lung cancer but had made a full recovery and was covering UNM when he became ill with pneumonia early this year.

"Mike could always make me laugh," said Sondra Hall. "He saw the humor in everything."

Always friendly, with a distinctive laugh, Hall's career began in 1970 at the Berkeley Gazette-Richmond Independent in northern California. He covered the Oakland A's through their run of three World Series titles before moving to the Wichita Eagle & Beacon in 1979.

From there, Hall worked as the assistant news editor at the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger.

After coming to The Tribune, Hall helped shape the newspaper's sports section before moving to the city desk in the mid-1980s.

"Mike is one of those guys who was distinctive because he was a gentleman and a gentle man," said Tribune Editor Phill Casaus, who worked with Hall for several years at the Journal. "He was a very good journalist, but he also understood something important - stories come and go, but people and their feelings last a long time."

After taking the job at the Journal, Hall directed the newspaper's sports department until handing over the day-to-day duties in 1997.

"Mike loved what he did," said Journal Editor Kent Walz. "He was a pro, a great colleague and a great friend."

Hall is survived by his wife, Sondra; sons Jason Hall and Michael Bolton, and daughters Dionne Mastrowani and Katie Hall.

Services will be handled by French Mortuary and are pending. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.