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Obituaries published in the December 2023 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

Ramón Rentería

EL PASO – Ramon Renteria, a veteran reporter and columnist and editor for The El Paso Times who covered local news, politics, education and culture for more than four decades, died on Nov. 3 at his home. He was 75.

Renteria was born on July 12, 1948, in Valentine to Felipe and Epimenia Renteria. He graduated from Valentine High School in 1966 and attended Sul Ross State College in Alpine, and the University of Texas at El Paso.

After a summer job at a newspaper in El Centro, California, he joined The Clovis News-Journal in New Mexico as a staff writer in 1970.

He was hired at The El Paso Times in 1975 and eventually rose to become a senior reporter and editor. He won several awards for his investigative reporting and feature writing, including the Guillermo Martinez-Marquez Award presented by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Texas State Teachers Association School Bell Awards, and the Texas Headliners Foundation Charles E. Green Journalism Awards. He also mentored many young journalists who went on to successful careers.

Renteria was known for his passion, professionalism and integrity as a reporter, as well as his generosity and humor. He had a talent for finding and telling stories that mattered to the community.

He retired in 2015 after 43 years in borderland journalism, 39 years with the El Paso Times.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Noemi Renteria, three children, six granddaughters and other relatives.

A memorial was held Nov. 10 at the Scenic View Ballroom in El Paso. Among the speakers was former El Paso Times editor Bob Moore, founder and CEO of El Paso Matters, who said many of Rentería’s colleagues in the room became great writers because of Renteria’s mentoring and editing.

Funeral mass was held Nov. 11 at Sacred Heart Catholic Mission in Valentine. Burial followed in the Evergreen Cemetery.

Albert Richard Elam, Jr.

ROCKWALL – Albert Richard Elam, Jr., 95, journalist, university professor and author, died Nov. 15.

A native of Pecos, he began his career as a writer for the Abilene Reporter-News at the age of 13. He attended the University of Texas where he was elected editor of The Daily Texan.

After graduation he returned to the Abilene Reporter News, then later partnered with his father to drill and complete natural gas wells in Coleman County, often flying his own airplane. During that two years he continued to report oilfield news on a local live television show and subsequently took a majority ownership in KPAR-TV (Abilene-Sweetwater), serving as manager of that station.

He later returned to higher education to teach at The University of Texas at Austin and later at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Along the way he also taught classes at the University of Hawaii, Pepperdine University and Ural University at Ekaterinburg, Russia. He was an avid sailor, traveling the world competing in races.

He is survived by four children, six grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and other relatives.