PITTSFIELD — At 78 and with deteriorating health, William P. "Bill" Sturgeon is retiring from his regular hosting duties on the community radio show “Morning Drive.”

Army service in the Vietnam War in 1970 and 1971, it seems, is finally catching up to the veteran, who was honorably discharged as a sergeant E-5.

While he was awarded the Bronze Star and technically wasn’t injured during his service, Sturgeon today is feeling the aftermath of exposure to Agent Orange in the form of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a terminal disease that is slowly but surely forming fibers inside his lungs.

Bill Sturgeon, longtime radio show host, interviews Bishop William D. Byrne on his last show via Zoom from his basement office Monday.

You wouldn’t know if you watched “WTBR's Morning Drive” on Pittsfield Community Television. He doesn’t use oxygen on air, but during the breaks, he cranks up the knob on his portable oxygen machine and inhales deeply.

And while he walks down his basement stairs with ease to his makeshift recording studio, Sturgeon gets winded on the trip back up.

“I don’t want to be a martyr,” Sturgeon says, worrying that too much emphasis on his health will also worry others. “As my old sergeant used to say, ‘Something’s going to kill you, what are you b----ing about.’”

After more than a decade hosting “Morning Drive” on WTBR 89.7, Sturgeon is stepping back from his regular broadcasts. A Vietnam War veteran and longtime community fixture, Sturgeon has combined his love of radio, storytelling, and local engagement to interview dignitaries, share personal insights and mentor students.

On Monday, Sturgeon — the son of a Pittsfield firefighter and nurse, who spent his career in law enforcement and as a consultant in criminal justice nationally and internationally — taped his final regular appearance in advance of Christmas.

Plaques and other memorabilia hang on the basement studio walls of Bill Sturgeon, a longtime radio show host. His father’s black firefighter’s hat sits on a nearby bookshelf.

Amid the otherwise darkened room, Sturgeon is bathed in light as he sits at a small table in front of his basement desk. On the wall behind him hang framed certificates and honors bearing testament to a career varied in location and service, along with his father’s black firefighter’s hat. In front of him, hanging from the stairs are knapsacks and soft briefcases as well as his set of handcuffs.

A devout Catholic, his final regular guest is the Most Rev. William D. Byrne, Bishop of Springfield.

He dials Mark Dupont, director of communications, to make sure the appointment is still taking place.

“This guy is real,” Sturgeon says of Byrne, as he awaits the bishop’s appearance.

He greets the bishop privately in typical Sturgeon style.

“Hi, handsome,” Sturgeon says in a hearty, upbeat voice without any trace of irony.

The two banter a bit in a familiar rhythm and topic.

“I love your hair,” the bishop tells Sturgeon.

Both men have none.

“Me, too,” Sturgeon retorts. “I just had it done for the show. I saw you there. You were in the chair ahead of me.”

“Zelie’s right here,” Byrne tells Sturgeon, referring to his beloved black Labrador retriever.

“Oh, Zel,” Sturgeon says. “Oh, boy.”

“Listen, I appreciate you doing this,” Sturgeon says. “A lot of people at Christmas. So, let me get started here. Let me get lined up. If I cut you off, just hit me in the head. I’m used to it. I went to Catholic school.”

Sturgeon went to St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church in Pittsfield and to its parochial school. He met his wife, Rose Ann, there.

Bill Sturgeon and his wife Rose Ann, whom he refers to as the Polish Princess, pose in the living room of their Pittsfield home.

They had one date ice skating when they were about 14. Their first ”real” date was to a New Year’s Eve party a couple years later. She was on the phone at midnight, so he had to wait an extra 15 minutes for his first kiss with her.

They became engaged prior to his departure for Vietnam and married two weeks after he returned on April 24, 1971, at Holy Family Church. Their reception was at the Holiday Inn. They drove the Ford Falcon he inherited from an aunt to Cape Cod for their brief honeymoon. He was still in the Army and had to report to Fort Bliss.

To this day, the couple attends Mass at St. Charles and Sacred Heart about three times a week.

“It gives me a sense of peace and a sense of belonging,” Sturgeon says.

“Good morning, everybody,” Sturgeon says with a voice full of pep. “This is WTBR’s Morning Drive. I am going to be with you for about 50 minutes ... this is Christmas Day, and today I have a special guest, and I am so pleased that he’s with us, because he’s brought so many people back to the Catholic Church in the Springfield Diocese.”

During the program, the banter continues, with the bishop joking that one reason he loves the Berkshires is because “it’s the farthest place in the Diocese away from my office.”

Sturgeon asks the bishop to address grief and loneliness in the Christmas season as well as speak about the meaning of Christmas. Both speak of some of their favorite Christmas memories and Sturgeon touches on calling home from Vietnam.

Bill Sturgeon, a longtime radio show host of Morning Drive, is retiring. A press pass hangs on the wall in his basement studio.

During a break, as Sturgeon took in some oxygen, he asks the bishop what he is doing for Christmas.

“I work,” Byrne says. “And I’ve got actually some friends visiting.”

“Oh, good,” Sturgeon says.

Sturgeon will celebrate this Christmas with his son, Patrick, and his daughter-in-law, Tina, who live in Scarsdale, N.Y., along with his grandchildren, William, who is 3; Ronan, 18 months, and Mia Rose, born in October.

A scroll of photos of the young family plays in the living room next to Sturgeon’s fully reclinable easy chair, where he has several oxygen machines of various sizes for travel and for home use.

He’s not leaving radio for good. He’ll be back Jan. 6 to celebrate WTBR’s seventh anniversary in its Federico Drive location.

He credits Shawn Sayers, Danel Elias, Kathy Yon, Mayor Peter Marchetti, as well as both the School Committee and Pittsfield City Council of seven years ago for helping save the station when its license was in trouble.

Once a month in recent years, he has recorded “WTBR's Morning Drive” live from Taconic High School.

“The students get an opportunity to produce a real show and it’s so cool,” Sturgeon says. “The show starts at 7:30, they’re there at 6:30 getting everything set up. You know from my old background, working with violent youthful offenders, when I see stuff like that, I get so excited.”

Now, moving forward, he’ll do occasional guest appearances on “Morning Drive.”

At this point, his third book is in galleys, awaiting final edits. The working title is “Today All Kids are at Risk.”

As Sturgeon looks ahead, he is reflective.

“This isn’t my first time looking at death up close,” he says. “I’m not afraid of dying.”

Quoting his friend, retired Superior Court Judge Rudolph Sacco, he says, “'I’m packed and ready to go but I’m not getting in the express lane.'”