BARTLESVILLE SPORTS MEDIA ICON MIKE TUPA PASSES AWAY TUESDAY EVENING
Bartlesville sports media icon Mike Tupa passed away Tuesday evening in Bartlesville. Tupa was the co-founder of Bartlesville Area Sports and former sports editor of the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise.
It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of a true Bartlesville icon. Mike Tupa passed away peacefully Tuesday evening after a two-month illness.
While the loss is felt deeply across the Bartlesville sports community, Mike’s spirit remains woven into the fabric of the sidelines and gymnasiums he covered for nearly four decades.
To the readers of Bartlesville, Mike was the definitive voice of local sports. Since 1996, his byline was a staple of our daily lives. Even after his retirement as sports editor of the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise in 2023, he continued to freelance for free because he couldn't stand the thought of local sports going uncovered.
In August 2024, after the newspaper dropped local sports coverage, Mike and I co-founded Bartlesville Area Sports. We started this site with a shared mission: to ensure that local sports coverage lived on. We believed in the same core philosophy—that every local athlete, from youth leagues to high school stars, deserves recognition. Mike was a master of his craft, known for finding a positive in every game, no matter what the scoreboard said.
Beyond the press box, Mike was my partner and my best friend. We worked side-by-side since 1996. While I plan to write a much more detailed tribute to his life and legendary career soon, I ask for your patience as I process the loss of a man who was like a brother to me.
Before he passed, Mike shared a message he wanted me to pass along. He said to please know that he is "the happiest man in the world," as he is finally reunited with his mother and sister.
A Final Gift for Our Readers
Mike’s work isn’t finished yet. I still have several of his articles that have not yet been published. Over the coming weeks, we will share these final pieces here on the site. It is a privilege to share these last "golden nuggets" of his writing with you as a tribute to the kids and teams he loved so much.
For now, we ask for your thoughts and prayers for his loved ones. Bartlesville has lost a legend, and I have lost my best friend.
(A memorial service is planned for next week at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1501 Swan Dr. in Bartlesville). I will share the finalized date and time as soon as they are available.)
-Becky Burch
Co-Founder, Bartlesville Area Sports