Van's obit

Here's Michael Sangiacomo's obit on Van.


Van Richmond was never comfortable in the limelight. Even though Plain Dealer readers saw his work for more than 30 years, they rarely saw his name.

Richmond, 85, of Rocky River, who died Wednesday after complications from kidney problems, was the Page One editor at the newspaper for many years until his retirement on March 1, 1994.

The day Richmond retired, he slipped out the back door of the newsroom, eschewing the usual punch and platitudes. Chuck Caton, who worked with Richmond for years and assumed some of his duties, informed the rest of the newsroom with a simple email: "Elvis has left the building."

Born in Chicago, Richmond lived in Wisconsin and Bergen N.Y., before joining the Army in 1943.

After leaving the service, he went to Villanova University, near Philadelphia, and majored in engineering until a Jesuit priest gave him some advice.

"He said the priest told him he was a pretty good writer but not so hot in engineering and suggested a career change," said his widow, Elizabeth. "He transferred to the University of Iowa, switched to journalism and graduated in 1950."

Richmond worked at the Rockford Register Republic in Rockford, Ill., for 10 years before taking a job at The Plain Dealer in 1960.

He worked in several editing positions at the Plain Dealer before becoming Page One editor.

Caton, now the newspaper's assistant news editor, said Richmond helped make the newsroom an interesting place.

"He was a rock, a feisty guy with strong opinions," Caton said. "He was quick to let his opinions be known but put them aside when it came down to the front page. There, he was always straight down the line. He was a blue-collar guy from Chicago who just wanted to do his job."

Another associate, Rosemary Kovacs, said she learned her craft from Richmond.

"He was a great editor and teacher," she said. "He tried to act like an old curmudgeon, but underneath he was a softy."

In addition to his widow, he is survived by his son, Jerome, of Lakewood, and daughter, Anne, of Harrisonburg, Va.; his stepchildren, Michelle Miller of Rocky River; James Anderson of Westlake and Kathryn Harttrup of Seattle; and eight grandchildren. His first wife, Jean, died in 1989.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Lakewood Baptist Church, 14321 Detroit Avenue.

Curt Chandler, former photographer, recalls:I'll never forget the look on Van's face the night I ran across the top of his desk to get from my spot inside the rim to edit a breaking news picture inside the photo lab. He was a newsroom icon.


Here's a remembrance by Bill Lucey: http://www.billlucey.com/2010/12/recollections-of-plain-dealer-page-one-editor-van-richmond.html

Van Richmond dies

From the PD death notice:
VAN R. RICHMOND entered eternal rest on Dec. 22, 2010. Beloved husband of Elizabeth (nee Dillow) and the late Jean (nee Muth); loving father of Jerome Richmond and Ann Pettit (Patrick); dear stepfather of Michele Miller (Matthew), James Anderson (Carrie) and Kathryn Harttrup (Jonathon); cherished grandfather of Cody, Connall, Lilli, Mairead, Brigid, Abbi, Meredith and Max. A memorial service will be held Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 at 2 p.m. at Lakewood Baptist Church, 14321 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Salvation Army.

From his PD friends:
He was.... a gigantic salad maker, some concoctions rivaling the terminal tower; an editor who knew the value of an exacto knife; a proud family man; a no-nonsense guy with a quick sense of humor.

Death of Obits

Former PD reporter Jim Naughton has a thought-provoking piece about the dearth and "death of obits" on the Obit site. He says that a study shows newspapers are running fewer, shorter obits or shifting them to classified ad revenue category.
But its study of obituary readership, mostly at smaller newspapers, “shows that obituaries -- along with community announcements and stories about ordinary people -- have the highest potential of all news items to grow readership," he writes.

You can read the complete article at:

http://obit-mag.com/articles/a-death-notice-for-obituaries

Our newest alum

Elizabeth McIntyre is leaving the PD after 20 years in the newsroom. Her last day is 11/24.
Elizabeth started on the copy desk in 1990 and ended up in 2007 as Deputy Managing Editor/Content, with many stops in between.

What's next? She'll decide on her next move after a real holiday season with her family.

Holiday book sale!

PD alumni,

Mark your calendars for one of the finest perks in our building: the semi-annual sale of books, music, DVDs, audiobooks and sundries that have accumulated all year.

You will find a boxed set of Malcolm Gladwell titles, the Doonesbury retrospective ($100 retail), impeccable classical recordings, a stylish umbrella, Barbara Streisand's new coffee table book, hundreds of children's volumes and thousands of other great gifts.

The heartwarming parts are 2-fold -- we're keeping the prices steady -- $3 hardcover, $2 paperbacks, $10 coffee-table books -- and all proceeds go to United Way.

The housekeeping parts: Pay your book cart IOUs to gain admission. No early bird bids; no cruising the items beforehand. Limit of 10 children's books the first day. No hoarding and sorting -- be considerate of colleagues.

The sale will run in the second floor community room Thursday, Dec. 2, from 3 to 6 p.m., and half-price Friday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Happy shopping,

Karen Long

Photo editor Ray Majestic dies

Ray Matjasic led Plain Dealer photographers and won national awards
Published: Thursday, November 18, 2010, 3:20 PM Updated: Thursday, November 18, 2010, 3:26 PM
Grant Segall



Whether shooting photos for the Marines or The Plain Dealer, Ray Matjasic never hesitated to charge into danger.

"Ray was the best street photographer I ever knew," retired PD Picture Editor Bob Dorksen said Thursday. "He was aggressive. He knew the cops. He could get into places others couldn't."

Matjasic died Tuesday, Nov. 16, one day after turning 90, at the Slovenian Home for the Aged.

The nationally honored Matjasic started delivering Plain Dealers at age 9, rising at 3:30 a.m. to haul them in a wagon. The PD became his only full-time civilian employer. He worked at the newspaper from 1938 to 1983, retiring as chief photographer.

Matjasic (pronounced muh-JAY-sic) limped from bullet and shrapnel wounds incurred while crawling through the sands of Taipan, photographing the U.S. invasion during World War II. That didn't stop him, after returning to Cleveland, from rushing into riots and more, snapping on the run. He once ran alongside police chasing a gunman suspected of robberies. The suspect finally turned the gun on himself.

Matjasic could shoot joy, too. He photographed the inaugurations of presidents Nixon and Carter. He shot his daughter, Judy, and her collie playing in the family's Euclid home for a Better Living section cover on recreation rooms.

Jack Nicklaus once said his favorite picture of himself on the links was Matjasic's shot of the native Ohioan carrying his 4-year-old son, Gary, on his shoulder after winning the Professional Golf Association Championship at the Canterbury Golf Club in 1973. The photographer signed a copy, and Nicklaus hung it at home in Florida.

Matjasic covered both joy and woe with the Indians, photographing the World Series in 1948 and 1954.

Colleagues said he led the photo department like a Marine, chomping a cigar, barking orders, making sure tables were cleaned and sinks scrubbed. "He was a strong leader who made sure we got our work done as well as we could," said photographer David I. Andersen.

Matjasic was born in Cleveland and raised on Addison Road in a family of six. During the Depression, the family sometimes earned less than $10 per week. So Ray started delivering papers for $7.50 per week. Not owning galoshes, he would dry his shoes in the oven between deliveries and school.

He graduated John Hay High School and joined the PD's circulation department. He rose to district manager, befriended photographers after work and learned their trade.

Then he joined the Marines and photographed them in action across the South Pacific. At Taipan in 1944, he took shrapnel in the knee and, while lying in the sand for six hours, took a bullet in the hip.

In 1945, he joined the PD's photo department, shooting on crutches at first. He rose to chief photographer in 1964.

His many scoops included an exclusive invitation to the home of the slain Marlene Steele and her husband, Robert, a Euclid municipal judge, later convicted of conspiring in her death. He won more than 50 local, state or national awards, including best in show from the Columbia School of Journalism and a berth in the Cleveland Press Club Hall of Fame.

Matjascic lectured on photography at Ohio State, Bowling Green State, Kent State and elsewhere. In 1969, he helped found the Cleveland Chapter of the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association and became its vice president. He liked to fish in Lake Erie, New York's Lake Chautauqua, Florida, Mexico and elsewhere.

He left Euclid for the Slovenian Home about 10 years ago. He lost his wife, the former Emma Pelcar, in July and their son, Raymond Jr., in October. The son had retired from his father's old circulation department at the PD.

Raymond Aloysius Matjasic

1920-2010

Survivors: daughter, Judith Smith of Willougby, and three grandchildren.

Funeral: pending

Contributions: Slovene Home for the Aged, 18621 Neff Road, Cleveland OH 44119, slovenehome.org.

Arrangements: Monreal Funeral Home

Former PD photographer Bill Wynne recalls:


I am sorry to hear my colleague Ray Matjasic has died. It has been most difficult for Ray and his family the past few years, Another of our great newspaper journalists has passed and we mourn each of them for the loss of their own personal contributions in communicating whether by keyboard or camera. Our whole life experiences influence how each of us see, judge, and interpret what we are witnessing. A photographer keyed to grasp instantly a situation, Ray's greatest attributes were first tenaciousness, beat the competition. This followed, whether in chess, checkers or cards , but particularly with cameras. And then interpretation, his communicating to readers, was implemented by pure instinct, He had a tough early life giving him a definite advantage. He recognized situations giving him insights in foreseeing what would unfold before him, resulting what is best expressed, by the old adage " a picture is worth a 1000 words. " May you rest in peace old friend.

Whitey Watzman wrote:

I'm really saddened to be reading about the death of Ray Matjasic, a guy I was paired with on many assignments over a long period of years.

Ray, in my opinion, was the greatest, a newsman down to the very depths of his soul, "the best street photographer" in Cleveland, as Bob Dorksen said. I like that phrase. It really sums up who Ray was. He could have been cast in the Ben Hecht play, "The Front Page."

But besides having smarts, he was a high-quality photographer, and his suggestions to me were always right on the nose, from the time he sort of took me under his wing when I became a reporter at the old P.D.

Whitey

Dan Coughlin's new book

Lorain Journal Columnist and former Cleveland Magazine Editor Rich Osborne has a nice column about former PD sport writer Dan Coughlin's new book, “Crazy, With the Papers to Prove It,” published recently by Gray & Company. He talks about the story Dan didn't put in his book -- the time Dan was president of the Press Club of Cleveland and talked the board into buying a racehorse. You can check it out at http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2010/11/14/opinion/mj3668858.txt

Fashionable Kim's boutique

Former PD style editor Kim Crow has gone from telling us about fashion to selling fashion. She has opened a fabulous boutique in Tremont called Evie Lou, offering contemporary clothing for all shapes and sizes. (She named it after a mini-fashionista niece.)

Stop in for a look at 2153 Professor Ave. in Cleveland. Hours and details can be found at her website, www.evielou.com.
Her husband, Ted Crow, is an artist at The PD.

Mark Russell, editor of Orlando Sentinel

Former Plain Dealer assistant ME and reporter Mark Russell was named editor of the Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday, accepting the top newsroom job six years after arriving at the news operation.

Russell, who was managing editor and then "print news manager" in a newsroom reorganization, succeeds Charlotte Hall, who retired on Oct. 1.

"I am honored and humbled to become editor of the Sentinel and the leader of such a talented and hard-working staff of journalists," Russell said in an announcement. "I intend to drive hard to produce watchdog journalism and expand our digital game to make sure we're delivering compelling content on mobile and the web as well as in print."

Before joining the Sentinel, Mark was assistant managing editor/metro at The Plain Dealer. Before that, Mark was The Plain Dealer's business editor for four years. He started at the newspaper in 1987 as a business reporter and later moved to the city desk and then served as an assistant city editor. Mark left The Plain Dealer to join The Boston Globe as assistant metropolitan editor in 1993, a position he held for two years before returning to The Plain Dealer.

Earlier in his career, Mark was a staff reporter for nearly three years in The Wall Street Journal’s Cleveland and Pittsburgh bureaus.

Let's have lunch!

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates
Casual unstructured lunch troupe
Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January, April, July and October
Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT LUNCHEON: Noon, Friday, Oct. 29

PLACE: Li Wah, 2999 Payne Ave (Asian Plaza, E 30th St, and Payne)
Parking adjacent to plaza and in lot off E. 29th St.

COST: $12 Janet and JoAnn will collect money so, if possible,
please have correct change

MENU: Family style meal includes Won ton soup, appetizer, chicken and beef main dishes, rice, tea, cookie

RSVP By Tuesday Oct. 26
Janet Beighle French (216) 221-2318, or jbfr519@sbcglobal.net or
JoAnn Pallant (440) 734-1923, or japallant@sbcglobal.net

Re-connect with Pauline Thoma

Pauline Thoma's daughter, Judy Nicoloff, reports that Pauline has moved to assisted living and would love to hear from other retirees.
Pauline is at Sunrise of Rocky River, 21600 Detroit, Rocky River, OH 44116 and her phone is 440-895-2355.

Cavs writers joins ESPN

Brian Windhorst, who covered the Cavs for the Akron Beacon Journal and The Plain Dealer is going to ESPN's new show: “The Heat Index," a special venture devoted to coverage of the Miami Heat and LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

You can read more about it at Clevescene.com and the BJ alumni blog:http://bjretirees.blogspot.com

Dubail on the move

After nearly 19 years, Jean Dubail is leaving The PD. HE says" "I'm staying in Cleveland, but leaving the newspaper to work for patch.com, which is a network of local news websites owned by AOL."
Jean was a reporter, an assistant city editor, editorial writer, metro editor and online editor for Cleveland.com. He's a native of St. Louis.

It was a full house at Don Bean's funeral and friends from far and wide were in attendance. Bean told people that he liked to go to funerals as long as he was the star. That day, he was the star.

Jim Naughton, former PD and Philadelphia reporter came from Florida. George Condon came from Washington. He said Bean was so proud of influencing Naughton in prank making. In the photos, from top, George talks with Doris O'Donnell, Naughton talks with Olga Bean, and Jim and George.

Jeanne Albers

Jeanne Albers died at age 66 in Santa Monica, California, Thursday morning. Cancer. She wrote in The Plain Dealer fashion department for a few years in the late 1960s. She wrote occasional essays in a form called "Dear Friend" letters. She was a Cleveland native, West Park area. She then went east for a few years and then to California. She and her second husband lived in Santa Monica for the last 20 years or so. No children. Dan Coughlin got the news from his sister, Cathy Breninghouse, who was her good friend since high school and kept in touch

Bean wrote his own obit

While Grant Segal wrote the official obit of Don Bean for The Plain Dealer, Bean wrote his own draft of his obit. Former obit writer Alana Baranack posted it on her blot at:http://obitsohio.blogspot.com/

Bean's obit

This is the official obit as written by Grant Segal. Bean wrote his own obit and former obit writer Alana Baranack posted it on her blog:obitsohio.blogspot.com

Parma -- Unfortunately, this obituary isn't just another of Don Bean's pranks.

The long-time Plain Dealer scribe, who phoned in tycoon Cyrus Eaton's death under deadline in 1967, 12 years too soon, died Sunday at MetroHealth Medical Center from pneumonia. He was 82.

As Bean often shouted, "It really happened."

In a free-wheeling field, "Beaner" led the way. He convinced rookie reporters to go interview the mother of the unknown soldier and cover a convention of black governors when there were none. He persuaded editors to run a fictional story about "Johnny Pot," supposedly the Johnny Appleseed of marijuana.

When Bean wasn't funny, he was passionate. Short, stocky and loud, he climbed onto chairs at meetings and exhorted colleagues as president of the Cleveland Newspaper Guild and as a trustee of Church in the V.

During a strike, he stood up to a charge by mounted police. He also pressed charges in vain against a member of a rival union who supposedly struck him in the head from behind.

But Bean didn't just inspire stories. He wrote them. Colleagues say that beneath the commotion was a great reporter and mentor.

"He had sources all over the place and got all the information the rest of us couldn't get," said Tom Gaumer, a retired reporter and editor.

Bean covered the Hough and Glenville riots and Dr. Sam Sheppard's murder trial. He persuaded George Steinbrenner, who ran American Ship Building Co. before the Yankees, to release the names of three workers killed in an explosion. He said he pressed a suburban police chief so hard for information, the chief lunged across the desk and grabbed Bean's throat.

He could be sensitive, too. "This guy felt for the people he wrote about," said long-time colleague Jack Hagan.

Bean was inducted to the Press Club of Cleveland's Journalism Hall of Fame.

He once played Santa Claus on downtown streets. The rest of the year, he felt like Santa's favorite.

"There wasn't a day that I didn't want to go to work," he recently wrote.

A pro to the end, Bean wrote up material for his obit. He said he was one of five boys raised in Northfield. He graduated from what's now Nordonia Hills High School in 1946 and served in the U.S. Air Force off the Bering Strait. He graduated from Kent State University in 1954.

He worked for the Cleveland News, Cleveland Press, wire services and radio stations. He lost a race for Parma city council in 1959.

In 1961, Bean joined the PD. He variously worked as assistant city editor and covered features, courts, cops, City Hall, general assignment, obits and more.

While working at a southwest suburban bureau, the long-time Parma resident swung by the downtown office in a Stroh's T-shirt, Bermuda shorts and white socks.

Working nights for years, Bean was the rare father in the 1960s at his three children's school events and on their field trips, including a three-day tour of Washington, D.C.

Bean wrote a PD magazine piece in 1983 about giving up liquor. He'd been one of many hard-drinking reporters and driven a company car into wet cement.

In 1980, he checked into Edwin Shaw Hospital for four weeks of treatment for alcoholism. He said he never had another drink. But other habits died hard. After checking out, he bought a carton of pop, called the city desk and bragged about downing a six-pack.

Bean retired in 1994. He golfed, hiked, wrote a history of his church and gave several gallons of blood over the years.One of the most popular Bean stories has him pushing the publisher out of a first-story window.

"Wish I had," Bean said last year. "Great story."

Donald Lee Bean

1928-2010

Survivors: Wife, the former Olga Fedorovich; children, Nadine M. Bean of West Chester, Pa., Matthew M. of Wickenburg, Ariz, and Scott A. of Parma; six granddaughters and a great-granddaughter.

Funeral: 11 a.m. Saturday, Church in the Valley, 2241 Everett Road, Boston Township.

Arrangements: Mallchok Funeral Home

Bean's life in the Depression

Don Bean wrote a 19-page remembrance of life in the Depression. It can be seen at http://hson.info/Bean.pdf

says Stu Abbey.

Don Bean dies

Donald Leander Bean, bean like in lima bean, died Sunday afternoon, Sept. 19, 2010, at Parma Community Hospital. He had been in the hospital about a week or so with pneumonia and congestive heart failure. They were planning to transfer him to Metro General but he didn't make it. Services are pending.

They don't make 'em like Bean anymore. Bring on the stories. Big Jaw Jackson. Johnny Pot. The plane crash that wasn't. The mother of the unknown soldier assignment. All those Guild meetings, Stand up, Bean.

Here's a shot John Tidyman took of him golfing about 2 weeks ago. Played better than ever, he said.

Send us your memories...

Dan Biddle, author

Former Plain Dealer reporter and all-around great guy Dan Biddle (and some other guy) wrote a great book called "Tasting Freedom" about the early days of the civil rights movement. I just spent a week with Dan and Cindy Roberts and they are lovely as ever.
You can go here to read some excerpts or skip to the bottom of this message to get to the link to amazon.com if you'd like to order the book. Spread the word about the book.. I'm sure Dan will be in Cleveland for a book signing one of these days. I'll keep you posted. - Jack Hagan

http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/1839_reg.html