Pat Baen

Pat Scott Castillon Baen, 79, died Aug. 23, 2002 of natural causes. She was garden editor for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram where she started working full time in 1944. She left in 1951 but her column continued to run in the 1950s and 1960s.

Douglas A. Brown

Douglas A. Brown, 45, a longtime Fort Worth Star-Telegram copy editor, died Oct. 26, 2002. The cause of death was a heart attack, family members said. While attending Midwestern State University, Brown was a sportswriter and editor at the Wichita Falls Times Record News. His 18-year tenure at the Star-Telegram began in 1984. He worked on the Star-Telegram’s sports and news copy desks and was named deputy copy chief in 2000.

Rocky McNair

Karl Howard “Rocky” McNair, Sr., 49, died Oct. 12, 2002 in a motorcycle accident in Uvalde. He was on a road-trip vacation with brothers Glenn and Joe when he reportedly lost control of his bike while rounding a hairpin turn on Ranch Road 337 in Real County and skidded into an oncoming Ford Ranger.

McNair was editor and publisher of the Franklin News Weekly, which has been in his family for more than 32 years. After two heart attacks his daughter Kathryn Nicole took over operation of the weekly in 1999 but he continued as editor and publisher and wrote a weekly column.

The family said he had an avid love affair with motorcycles and belonged to several motorcycle clubs.

LaQuita Moore

LaQuita Keesee Moore, 68, died Oct. 7, 2002 at Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock. She had been the Ropes reporter for the Hockley County News-Press in Levelland and worked 30 years for Lockettville Gin Co.

Janet Murray

Janet Sue Murray, 66, died Oct. 4, 2002 of cancer. She was office manager for the El Paso Herald Post for nearly 40 years and was on the board of directors for the El Paso Newspaper Employees Credit Union. The newspaper ceased publication in October 1997.

Bernard H. Ridder

Bernard H. “Bernie” Ridder, 85, died Oct. 10, 2002 of complications from a stroke. He helped create Knight Ridder, the owner of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram since 1997. He was head of Ridder newspapers in 1974 during the company’s merger and retired in 1982. He also served on The Associated Press board of directors.

Herman Sass

Herman Sass, 94, died Oct. 22, 2002. He was a 19-year pressman for the San Antonio Express-News from 1954-73.

Jessie Tipton

Jessie Mae Harris Tipton, 87, died Oct. 10, 2002 at Heritage Manor Nursing Home in Dayton. She was co-owner and associate editor of the Dayton News and Dayton Printing Co. and a correspondent for The Houston Post and The Beaumont Enterprise.