Obituaries, 2004-2005
- Nov. 22, 2005: PAT JENKINS, 62, a newspaper reporter
with 20 black leather motorcycle jackets, died in a car accident on
the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. He covered the rebirth of Atlantic
City before and after casino gambling was legalized in 1976 for The
Press of Atlantic City and the Newark Star-Ledger. Among
the numerous awards
he
won was
the Golden
Quill, presented to him in 1982 by the Press Club of Atlantic City,
sponsor of the National Headliners Awards.
In 2002, he was a member of a team of Star-Ledger reporters
who won the National Education Writers Award for breaking news
for coverage of the 2001 Middletown teachers strike. Memorial
donations may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, South Jersey Chapter,
Haddonfield, NJ, 08033.
 Nov.
17, 2005: CHUCK REYNOLDS, 81, who served as
editor and publisher of The Press of Atlantic City for some
20 years and gave Sheehan World publisher Kathy Sheehan her
first full-time newspaper job, has died. A man of honesty, integrity
and good humor, Reynolds was appointed editor of the paper in 1966
and publisher in
1975. He was a respected newsman who involved himself
in civic issues and in journalism organizations. He presided over
a young newspaper staff in Pleasantville, N.J., at a time when heavy
drinking and chain smoking was considered normal in the newsroom.
On more than one occasion, Reynolds' cigarettes set his office waste
basket on fire. When he retired in 1989, Reynolds pointed to his affiliation
with
The
Richard
Stockton
College
of New
Jersey
as
the
place where he enjoyed his greatest successes. He was a charter member
of Stockton's board of trustees in 1969, before the college even existed. "We
had a $15 million bond issue - that's all - no president, no faculty
and
no campus," he told The Press of Atlantic City. In 1981,
the college honored him by dedicating the "Reynolds House."
 Nov.
15, 2005: LARRY LUNDSTROM, 59, a low-key car
salesman and a devoted husband and father, died of complications from
lung cancer. A Navy veteran and a 1976 graduate of Western Washington
University,
Larry was known for his gentle temperament and his passion for his
family. He was married 31 years to Kristie Lundstrom. Larry loved
the outdoors,
played tennis and golf and enjoyed skiing and taking long walks. His
favorite
sporting
companions
were
his
sons, Brent and Robin, and he was looking forward to being a grandfather
in December to Ashton Lundstrom. Memorial contributions can be sent
to the Whatcom Educational Credit Union for a memorial bench to be
placed
at one
of Larry's favorite
walking destinations in a Bellingham area park.
- Aug. 8, 2005: RICK EPTING, 62, a musician, supporter
of the arts, journalist and teacher died suddenly. He wrote a weekly
arts and entertainment column
for the Argus in Anacortes, Wash.,
and was the editor of the regional Northwest Washington
Arts & Entertainment Quarterly. He is survived by his
wife Rebecca of Mount Vernon; a son Mark Epting; a daughter
Lesla Epting; brothers Matthew and Seth Montfort; a sister
Judy Nicholiasen; and numerous other family, friends and Walruses.
- Aug. 4, 2005: RUTH S., 83, a longtime Bellingham
resident and a friend of Lois' and Kathy's.
- May 31, 2005: JOHN GUESS, 41, the fun-loving partner
of WWU's Laurie Rossman.
- Jan. 13, 2005: CHRIS HARRIS, 55, the beret-wearing
former bass player
for The Walrus,
in Bellingham, WA. Chris,
who played guitar
in Chrome Dinette and other local bands, joined Bellingham's
rockin' sea mammals in1998, retiring to pursue music and writing
in 1999. He was a Vietnam veteran and a telecommunications specialist
who won song writing awards. He grew up in France and lived in the
Washington, D.C., area, California and Washington state.
 Dec.
26, 2004: LEON "THE FLY" TAYLOR, 52, a retired
reporter for The Philadelphia Daily News, died of lung cancer
in Florida.
Taylor, whose impeccable wardrobe
and good looks were likened to the star of the 1970s "Superfly"
movies, had worked for 25 years as a copy boy, police reporter, obituary
writer
and
general assignment reporter
before retiring in 2001. He won several journalism awards, but his
most famous story was his 1998,
first-person
account of taking the new drug, Viagra. "I don't know what you
do for a living," he wrote. "But yesterday I got paid to choke down
a
50mg Viagra pill and then attempt to maintain a state of readiness
for six
hours.
And, guys, I gotta tell ya. I think the boys down at the lab might
be onto something here."
He is survived
by his wife, Gwen; daughter Amber; a sister, Linda King; and a large
group of colleagues and former colleagues who were privileged to have
worked with "The Fly."
- Sept. 12, 2004: ROSE DEWOLF, 70, a prominent Philadelphia
journalist for nearly 50 years, whose good humor and infectious laugh
were part of the heartbeat of The Philadelphia Daily News newsroom,
died of
bone cancer.
Rose wrote
a column for the now defunct Philadelphia Evening Bulletin and
worked as a reporter,
writer
and TV personality in Philadelphia for decades. She was still employed
at The Daily News when she broke both legs in march 2004. "I
can't believe the flame is out," said
city editor Kurt Heine. "That
laugh was part of the heartbeat of the newsroom." (See The
Daily
News obituary.) Services were held Oct. 4.
DeWolf was the third Daily News journalist to die during the summer of 2004.
The others were Sports Editor Caesar Alsop, 53, and photographer George
Reynolds,
54.
- Aug. 31, 2004: BOB TRENT, 85, a retired electronics
engineer who sang with many church groups, barbershop choruses and
civic groups.
Bob was a much loved member of Bellingham Friends Meeting (Quaker)
and is survived by his wife, Sharon; daughters Susan Veretto and Renee
Trent;
sons
Jeffrey and Robert Trent and Nikolai Sparling; five grandchildren and
seven great-grandchildren.
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