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Say it all now

Caricature of Doug Floyd, retired S-R editorial page editor (Milt Priggee Cartoon)
Rebecca Nappi

Doug Floyd, who had a 42-year newspaper career, at the Spokane Daily Chronicle and The Spokesman-Review, retired Thursday. His send-off ceremony was standing-room only and people said kind and funny things. There were also some tears.

Associate editor Gary Crooks wrote about him in his Sunday column. (See excerpt below). And Milt Priggee, freelance cartoonist who once worked with Doug, sent along the perfect caricature.

The ceremony was one more reminder of the importance of telling people close to us, whether in our work life or personal life, what they mean to us. By funeral time, it’s too late for them to hear it all.

Not that Doug’s going anywhere in the funeral arena soon!

From Gary’s column :

Doug’s last day on the job was Thursday, capping an illustrious 42-year newspaper career. No, he wasn’t one of Gutenberg’s interns, but his journalism arc did cover “hot type,” Teletypes and typewriters. He had the great fortune of working when ink-on-paper journalism ruled the day. His younger colleagues, which is to say all of us, are envious as we grapple with the uncertainty that lies ahead… Typically, he ate lunch at his desk. He did all of this with humility, humor and hardly any food stuck between his teeth. On his final day, he wrote two editorials and wrapped up that in-depth interview on the opposite page. Nobody found this odd. On a personal level, Doug is a great guy. When I was struck with family tragedy, he was steadfast in his support and flexible upon my return to work. I will never forget that compassion, or the everyday examples on how to be a better journalist and a better man. All the best, my friend, and enjoy those symbolic strolls to the ballot box. Just be sure to read our endorsements first.

(Milt Priggee cartoon courtesy of Milt. Contact him at www.miltpriggee.com )

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "EndNotes." Read all stories from this blog