Cleve Twitchell, the longtime Mail Tribune editor, columnist and beloved Rogue Valley food critic, died March 14 at the age of 88, his family announced. Twitchell’s daughter said he died from complications of pneumonia following recent health issues.

Career and contributions

Cleveland Edwards Twitchell — who used the name Cleve and noted his full name honored his two grandmothers’ maiden names — was born May 8, 1937, in New York City. He moved west after high school, briefly attended San Francisco State College and worked in several Bay Area newsrooms before settling in Medford in 1961.

Twitchell helped launch the entertainment newspaper the Bay Window in San Francisco and later became the primary founder of Tempo at the Mail Tribune in 1969, serving as its editor until his 2002 retirement. His restaurant column, “The Long Weekend,” ran for more than 30 of his 40-plus years at the paper. Over his career at the Mail Tribune he estimated writing roughly 9,000 articles and producing about 200,000 headlines, earning a reputation for prodigious copy production and a rapid two-finger typing style.

Remembrances, family and funeral arrangements

Colleagues and former readers remembered Twitchell for his kindness, community focus and support of local businesses. Former Mail Tribune reporter JoNel Aleccia called him “mild-mannered and kind, with an understated sense of humor” and “a monster of copy production.” Rob Galvin, former Mail Tribune copy desk chief, recalled how Twitchell helped him find his place in the newsroom. Longtime editor Bob Hunter described Twitchell as “the longtime heart and soul of the former newspaper.”

Family and local restaurateurs shared anecdotes of Twitchell’s refusal of special treatment when dining out, even as his reviews became a point of pride for many local establishments. Wendy Cooper, his daughter and a Central Point resident, said he insisted family not disclose his identity to avoid free meals. In tribute, The Arbor House in Talent agreed to open on a Sunday to host a family meal in his honor; owner Leah Calhoun remembered him as family and recalled catering his 80th birthday.

Twitchell wrote his own obituary, which was published March 21 on the Rogue Valley Times website. His celebration of life will be held at Horton Plaza Retirement Community from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, March 29. In his obituary, Twitchell requested donations to the SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) program in lieu of flowers.

Published obituary and reporting contact

The obituary written by Twitchell was posted to the Rogue Valley Times on March 21: rv-times.com/2026/03/21/cleve-twitchell. For further reporting on the original story, reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 458-488-2029 or buffy.pollock@rv-times.com. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal.

Image Referance: https://youroregonnews.com/2026/03/27/locally-beloved-food-critic-cleve-twitchell-remembered-as-a-celebrity/