George Markell dies

 Former Plain Dealer copy editor George A. Markell has died of cancer at the age of 65. After leaving the PD, George worked
as a copy editor for the San Francisco Chronicle until retiring in 2002.  He also practiced law  in Oakland, CA for several years.

George went to Cleveland Heights High and received a degree in journalism from Kent State University. He later obtained
his law degree in San Francisco.

 "My brother fought a brave battle against his cancer and lived as  fully as he could until the end," said his sister
 Harriet Markell of San Francisco.

 See more at: http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/cleveland/guestbook.aspx?n=george-markell&pid=169142471&cid=full#sthash.ZX8HEvzH.dpuf

Here's the obit from the Chronicle:

George Markell

George A. Markell

Nov. 14, 1948 – Jan. 13, 2014

Passed away peacefully at Coming Home Hospice in San Francisco, from cancer, his son, sister, and dearest friend at his side.  He is survived by his brother Robert E. Markell (Marti Katz) of Lyndhurst, OH; sister, Harriet D. Markell of Sacramento, CA; son Patchen Markell (Andrea Frank) of Chicago, IL; and close friend Niki Xie of San Francisco.  George was preceded in death by his parents Lillian B. and Arthur Markell of Cleveland.  A celebration of George's life will take place in San Francisco.

George graduated from Cleveland Heights High School, earned his B.A. in Journalism at Kent State University and a J.D. at Hastings College of Law in San Francisco.  He was a copy editor at the Cleveland Plain Dealer and, after moving to the west coast in 1978, at the San Francisco Chronicle, retiring from the Chronicle in 2002.

An avid baseball fan, George watched every game possible during the season and scheduled his vacations to coincide with the playoffs and World Series.  He bicycled Mt. Tamalpais and Marin County (as well as the Canadian Rockies and France) and hiked the Bay Area to identify wildflowers and birds.  His nature  photographs are testament to his love of the outdoors and of the medium.  Raised in a family that loved literature and words, George was a voracious reader, a lover of poetry, and an exacting grammarian, and thus a respected and beloved member of the copyediting team at the Chronicle for over 20 years.  His headlines, some legendary, show his great sense of humor and way with words.  As an active member of the Newspaper Guild, including as shop steward, he fought for better pay and treatment for those who did the hard work of getting out the paper every day. His interest in First Amendment issues prompted him to get a law degree mid-career, after which he practiced law briefly, returning to the Chronicle to do the work he truly loved.

George and his son, Patchen, were always very close, sharing interests in cycling, literature, music, and politics.  He also remained close with his brother and sister all of his life, and more recently spent a great deal of time with his friend Niki and her children and grandchildren.  He will be sorely missed by his family and many friends.