Good evening, 919 Gang. I hope Bruce Bigelow’s children
have access to his computer. I have kept him on the distribution list, and I
think they should read what our members are saying about their father. Nothing
they didn’t already know, of course, but they should read it.
JOE CANTLUPE
writes:
There was never a time when Bruce Bigelow and I talked that
we didn’t joke about something. He was a dear friend and I’m devastated that
I’m writing about him in the past tense.
After the U-T merger,
Bruce and I became quick buddies, and so did our families. When journalists get
together they seem to always talk stories. We generally didn’t. There were too
many other things to talk about, like what’s going on in our psyches, or to set
a date to play tennis, or the latest trail he was going to explore.
There was one magical piece of journalism that we did talk
about a lot, and that was the 14-part “Toy Maker” series that Bruce wrote about
the Rokenbok Toy Co. of Encinitas, working with Susan White, as I recall. It was a groundbreaking series at the time for
the U-T, as it smoothly and seamlessly told the chapters of an evolving company
and the people who ran it.
Over the years, after I moved to the Washington D.C area,
Bruce would pepper my inbox, not with stories, but with news about his son
Ben’s and daughter Caitlin’s achievements, or family trips through rugged
terrain. My heart goes out to those great kids—now young adults—and also to
Lynn.
It seems like a cliché – and it is – but I miss Bruce’s
laugh a lot. Already.
I write a lot of healthcare stories and I’m trying to
figure out the nature of the viral infection that seemed to trigger Bruce’s
passing, to figure out how this could have happened, and why. I guess I just
can’t believe Bruce is gone.
It’s that journalism thing, too. I keep thinking we are
above the fray of daily life, that we have been so privileged to examine it
from the mountaintop, and how that can protect us from life’s daily trauma.
Then Bruce dies. And then there is that shooting in Annapolis, where five
employees of a community newspaper were gunned down the day before. No, we are
not above the fray.
Bruce would definitely poke fun at how wrong I’ve been.
Smiling through the sadness, as I think of you, buddy.
STEVE PROSINSKI writes:
Oh for a newsroom full of Bruce
Bigelows. Exceptional journalist. Even better dad and friend. So lucky to have
worked with him. God bless Bruce and those who love him.
REBER: Steve sent this
photo of a U-T reprint of the series Joe Cantlupe mentioned. If you can’t read the
text, it says story by Bruce Bigelow and photos by John McCutchen. Susan White
was the editor. As I mentioned last night, Bruce was a Gerald Loeb Award finalist and National Headline Award winner
for “The Toymaker.”
JAMES GOLDSBOROUGH writes:
Terrible news about Bruce Bigelow, whom I remember as a friendly,
helpful, knowledgeable guy one flight down in the old building. Reporters and
columnists don't interact that much, but every contact I had with Bruce was a
positive one. If I remember Mike Kinsman's post from a few days ago, Bruce
contracted a virus from hiking in Bryce Canyon Park. Talk about an unfair twist
of fate. How is that even possible, especially for a relatively young man in
good shape? We expect the worst these days from driving, or flying or maybe
attending school without a gun, but hiking in a national park? My deepest
sympathies to his family, for Bruce was a good man. Mike, if you learn anything
more about Bruce's strange and tragic death from a national park-dwelling
virus, please pass it on.
JONATHAN HELLER writes:
Bruce Bigelow and I overlapped at the U-T but never worked
on any stories together. However, I worked with him extensively when he was
covering the Sunrise Powerlink and SDGE was a client of the PR firm I had
jumped to. Bruce asked good questions and wrote fair stories. I couldn’t have
asked for anything more. He was a good man and accomplished journalist who was
admired by friends and coworkers.
MICHAEL BURGE writes:
After the merger of The Union and Tribune, the new paper
published a street edition modeled after the Evening Tribune, which hit the
streets in the early afternoon. For a while I was the assistant metro editor in
charge of this edition, and Bruce Bigelow was my right hand, working directly
with me every morning starting at 5 am.
I had worked for The Union and Bruce for the Tribune, so
this was our introduction, and it was quickly evident that Bruce was
extraordinarily talented. He was creative, ingenious, tenacious, and was an
excellent writer. I do not recall with certainty, but I believe Bruce had held
a loftier assignment with the Trib, perhaps science writer, so this would have
been a step down for him. Some reporters might have whined and complained about
that, but Bruce was too honorable to behave in such a manner. Rather he showed
up each morning with a coffee, a quip and a can-do attitude. He applied every
one of his considerable skills to the job he was given, performing with
professionalism and humor. He brought his best self to the job every day. If he
disagreed with me or had a better idea, we talked it over and adjusted. I
couldn’t have been given a better wing man.
Bruce was a true and dedicated father, and we shared
stories about our families. Bruce had many admirable qualities that rubbed off
on those around him, and some of him rubbed off on me. It was an honor to have
known and worked with him.
LESLIE WOLF
BRANSCOMB writes:
I
hesitate to send this highly personal post. But since I already put it on
Facebook, here goes:
I usually try to avoid posting maudlin, angry or
overly-political stuff on Facebook, because there is enough negativity online
already But for my former U-T family, can we just agree this has been the worst
two weeks EVER? For those of us who worked at the newspaper in the 1980-2008
era, we lost our beloved Jane Clifford on June 14. Then came the
horrible news of the mass shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis,
Maryland on June 28. And now Bruce Bigelow. It's just too much.
We've
all covered mass shootings, and empathized and often cried for the victims and
their families, but the Annapolis shooting really brought home that journalists
are now targets. (Yes, I know this shooter had a particular beef with this
paper, but the article he was angry about was published in 2011. Anyone want to
take a guess what pushed him over the ledge this particular week? Maybe our
Dear Leader calling journalists the "enemy of the people" just two
days before, for the umpteenth time? Maybe right-wing darling Milo Y. calling
for journalists to be shot and killed just the day before? Oh, gee, it's a
mystery... yet another disturbed white man with access to guns. But I digress...)
The
news of Bruce Bigelow's untimely death yesterday just hit so hard. Jane lost
her beloved husband Randy to cancer, then so unfairly died of cancer herself.
Bruce did nothing wrong other than enjoying nature, and unfortunately
contracting a virus while camping.
Weirdly,
we've had several recent losses among our friends, too. Some whom I have spent
lots of time with, others who I knew were beloved by their family members, my
friends. Rest in peace to Tom Evans, twin brother of our long-time friend Tim
Evans, who has starred in my husband's Pastorela and Bonitafest plays for
decades. He died unexpectedly on Jan. 22.
June
has been particularly brutal. On June 9 my daughter's college roommate and best
friend (they just graduated in May) died in a helicopter accident at age 27.
Two days later, on June 11, the husband of one of my good friends from high
school died in a freak accident. Three days later, on June 14, Jane Clifford
died. Two days after that, Della Leopold, the mother-in-law of my great friend
Lillian Leopold died.
I
saw on Facebook today that 18-year-old Davon Gross, related to Greg Gross, died
tragically on June 27, shot in Austin while sitting in his car at a gas
station.
Then
yesterday, Bruce died of some unknown virus, contracted while doing what he
loved -- camping and hiking.
The
whole world seems topsy-turvy to me now... grieving those I loved and feeling
terrible for my friends who have lost loved ones. All in the past month!
Today
I was driving down Bonita Road and saw the U.S. flag at half-staff at the fire
station. My heart swelled, and tears came to my eyes, because I thought they
were honoring the five who died in the Annapolis newspaper shooting. (Remember
when our country's leaders used to order flags to be flown at half staff after
mass shootings?) Then I realized it was probably because the firefighters lost
one of their own on June 25 in Long Beach.
So
much grief to go around...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESTON TUREGANO
writes:
While searching the U-T archives Saturday, I came across a
bewildering piece of copy that ran in The Tribune the day before the 1992 U-T
merger. Most of it is hilarious. It made me think of some of my Tribune
bulletin board postings that (at the orders of John Muncie and Lee Grant) had
to cease after the merger. Please note the late Bruce Bigelow was listed as
“Fashion Writer.” (He was Science Writer.) Jack; you’re a secretary. I was
listed as Morgan column assistant! Ha! The errors go on and on. The correction
at the end is bizarre. Was this a joke? Does anyone remember it? Anyway, in
light of Bruce’s untimely demise, and his family and friends’ mourning, I
thought a bit of inane frivolity might help.
The Tribune staff
numbered 191 in late 1991
PUBLICATION: Evening
Tribune (San Diego, CA)
SECTION: NEWS
DATE: February 1, 1992
EDITION: 1,2,3
Page: A-8
Randy Archibold
Reporter Tim Archuleta
Police Reporter Mark
Arner
Reporter Kathryn Balint
Reporter Chet Barfield
Reporter Trish Barr
Fashion Writer Bruce
Bigelow
Science Writer Berry
Bloom
Sportswriter Frank
Brady
Sportswriter Don Braunagel
Ent. Copy Editor Clark
Brooks
Scene Reporter Julie
Brossy
Reporter Boo Browning
Scene Reporter Richard
Brumley
Ass't. News Editor Bill
Callahan
Reporter Rita Calvano
Reporter Mike Canepa
Sports Copy Editor Nick
Canepa
Sportswriter John
Cannon
County Editor Wayne
Carlson
Entertainment Editor
Lynne Carrier
Editorial Writer Vivien
Chamichian
Ass't. Scene Editor
Lora Cicalo
Ass't. News Editor
Karen Clark
Ass't. City Editor
Peter Clark
Sports Copy Editor Jane
Clifford
Scene Reporter David
Coburn
Financial Editor Dave
Coddon
Copy Editor Dennis
Corbran
Editorial Aide Richard
Core
Reporter Jim Crawley
Financial Reporter J.D.
Crowe
Editorial Cartoonist
Mike Crowell
Homes Editor Tom
Cushman
Executive Sports Editor
Mark Dahlinger
Wire Editor Mary
D'Amico
Ed. Aide/Sports Alison
DaRosa
Politics Writer Carolyn
Davis
Copy Editor Rick Davis
Sportswriter Patricia
Dibsie
Scene Reporter Bob
Dietrich
Military Writer Gene
Dissinger
Managing Editor Robert
De Veroli
Religion Writer
Elizabeth Douglass
Financial Reporter
Linda Susan Dudley
Food Editor Susan
Duerksen
Health Writer Jeanne
Eigner
Society Writer Bill Fox
Copy Editor Jeanne
Freeman
Scene Reporter John
Freeman
Sports Reporter Fred
Gates
Graphic Artist John
Gilmore
Ass't. City Editor Jim
Gogek
Editorial Writer Jim
Goldsborough
Editor/Editorial Pages
Vern Griffin
Reporter Abe Gutierrez
Copy Editor Bill Hagen
Film/Theater Critic
David Harpster
Reporter Dave Hasemyer
Reporter Bob Hawkins
Entertainment Writer
James Hebert
Copy Editor Lillian
Heffernan
Reporter Jim Hennum
Ed. Aide/Edit. Pg.
Vince Hottle
Ass't. News Editor
Leanne Howard
Editorial Aide
Christine Huard
Ed. Aide/City Desk Ray
Huard
Politics Writer Joe
Hughes
Reporter Ann Jarmusch
Art Critic Jay Jones
Reporter Sharon Jones
Reporter Clark Judge
Sportswriter Karen Kay
Editorial Aide Jess
Kearney
Ass't. Sports Editor
Juliet Keiser
Deputy City Editor Kirk
Kenney
Sportswriter Ron Kenney
Editorial Copy Editor
Jim Ketchum
Executive News Editor
Michael Kinsman
Ass't. Financial Editor
John Kowalczyk
Scene Copy Editor Cindy
Fonstein Krier
Copy Editor Anne
Krueger
Reporter Eddie Krueger
Graphics Director Karen
Kucher
Reporter John Lamb
Reporter Carl Larsen
Metro Editor Ann Marie
Lavallee
Secretary Pascale Le
Draoulec
Education Writer Brian
Leonard
Ed. Aide/City Desk Kris
Lindblad
Photo Editor Penny
Lingo
Graphic Artist Sylvia
Lugo
Secretary Bedel Mack
Dep. Managing Editor
Tom Mallory
Ass't. City Editor
Caroline Mangelsdorf
News Editor Pat McGrath
Chief Editorial Aide
Ruth McKinnie
Reporter Mike McLane
Ed. Aide/Copy Desk John
McLaren
Reporter Eddy McNeil
Reporter John McPeek
A-2 Editor Todd
Merriman
City Editor Jim
Michaels
Military Writer Lisa
Mitchell
Ed. Aide/Entertainment
Dulcie Molyneux
Secretary Bill Monahan
Wire Editor Mark Monday
Reporter Neil Morgan
Editor Hector Munoz
Ed. Aide/Photo Desk
Kelly Murphy
Copy Editor Lois
Mysliwy
Copy Editor Jim Nichols
Copy Editor Don
Norcross
Sportswriter Len
Novarro
Scene Editor John
O'Keefe
Ass't. City Editor Marc
Olson
Copy Editor William
Osborne
Ass't. Managing Editor
Ann Perry
Financial Reporter Bill
Pinella
Sports Editor Bill Polk
Reporter Ken Popovich
Copy Editor Jay Posner
Sportswriter Kay
Prokrop
Ass't. Managing Editor
Steve Prosinski
Ass't. Managing Editor
Lennie Punsaian
Copy Editor Jessica
Rapaido
Editorial Aide
Christine Raynes
Secretary Jack Reber
Systems Editor T.R.
Reinman
Sportswriter Jamie Reno
Scene Reporter Ken
Rhodes
Copy Editor Mike
Richmond
Reporter Jeff Ristine
Education Writer Ozzie
Roberts
Reporter George
Robertson
Copy Desk Chief Terry
Rodgers
Reporter Agnes Roletti
Reporter Fernando
Romero
Mexico Bureau Chief
Larry Ross
Ass't. News Editor
Frank Sabatini
Ed. Aide/City Desk
Terry Sacks
Financial Reporter
Frank Saldana
Reporter Arthur Salm
Book Editor Rex Salmon
Graphic Artist Leonel
Sanchez
Reporter Jeff Savage
Sportswriter Valerie
Scher
Music/Dance Critic
Martina Schimitschek
Travel Editor Roy
Schneider
Editorial Writer Nancy
Schoeffler
Op-Ed Editor Laurel
Scott
Copy Editor Peggy Scott
Ed. Aide/Travel Tom
Shanahan
Zone Sports Editor Rick
Shaughnessy
Reporter Lola Sherman
Reporter Susan Shroder
Reporter/Ass't. City
Editor John Sinor
Columnist Charlie Smith
Financial Copy Editor
Gordon Smith
Scene Reporter Richard
Spaulding
Financial Reporter
Terry Spilecki
Secretary Sharon Spivak
Reporter Joe Stein
TV Critic Frank Stone
Reporter Ken Stone
Reporter Mark Sullivan
Reporter Richard
Sullivan
Systems Editor Kathie
Taylor
Reporter Paul Telles
Reporter Kelly Terry
Ed. Aid/Financial Joe
Thesken
Reporter Floyd Thomas
Ass't. City Editor
Kelly Thornton
Reporter Jimmy Thornton
Scene Copy Editor Dee
Anne Traitel
Morgan Column Ass't.
Preston Turegano
Reporter Steve Vivona
Editorial Aide Claude
Walbert
Reporter Anita Walker
Ed. Aide/Scene Julie
Walker
Ass't. City Editor Darla
Welles
Reporter Bill Weurding
Sports Copy Editor Dana
Wilkie
Sacramento Reporter
Doug Williams
Sports Copy Editor Jack
Williams
Scene Reporter Bob
Witty
Deputy Editor Leslie
Wolf
Reporter Tom Wolfe
Photo Editor James
Wright
Ass't. City Editor
Kathy Yeager
Make-up Editor Ed
Zieralski
Sportswriter
Correction:
Unpublished correction: Ken Stone should be listed as Copy Editor. Not
Reporter. Re: Ken Stone, Online Production Coordinator for SignOnSanDiego.com,
Dec. 12, 2006)
REBER: Yes, I know this
was in the archives, and I know the file says it ran, but really? Preston if
this really appeared in the paper, you and I and a couple of hundred others would
remember it. Talk about bulletin board material. And the correction at the end is beyond
bizarre. Why correct only one line? Why bother?
Here’s
how this mess happened:
News
people are used to writing lines, but this piece was different; it was in columns,
not lines. The job titles were in the first column and the staffers’ names in
the second. But something went wrong. Note that there is no job title for Randy
Archibold. His name slipped over into the job column. That meant that all the
names below his moved up one slot. So find your name and then look at the job title that
is to the left and down one notch.
Also,
my memory (not to be fully trusted) is that Steve Vivona was dead by this time.
----------------------------------------------------------------
REBER: We kick off a new
month by wishing Happy Birthday (July 1) to Henry Joseph and Gordon Murray.
P.O. Box 2239
Ramona, CA 92065
U.S.A.
