Obituaries

Obituaries published in the October 2026 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

PHIL REYNOLDS

MARBLE FALLS – Former South Jetty reporter Phil Reynolds, whose career in journalism spanned 70 years, has died at the age of 85.

Reynolds died on Sept. 8 at the Marble Falls assisted living facility that had been his home for a few months. He had been battling health problems including emphysema and pneumonia but continued working in journalism to the end.

At the time of his death, he was writing stories for the Marble Falls Messenger – formerly known as The Highlander – and the Burnet Bulletin, both headquartered in Marble Falls.

“Phil was a journalist’s journalist: Passionate, principled and driven to get it right,” said Mary Henkel Judson, who was the editor and co-publisher of the South Jetty when Reynolds worked there.

“He had a unique talent for distilling complex subjects and presenting them to readers in clear, concise and understandable prose,” said Judson, who is retired now. “And he got it right. If there was a way to make a mold of Phil and duplicate it, journalism would be better for it. The South Jetty sure was.”

Reynolds worked two stints as a reporter with the South Jetty, one from 2003 to 2008, and another from 2009 to 2012. He covered Port Aransas City Hall.

Reynolds was born on Jan. 10, 1941, in Keokuk, Iowa, and spent most of his youth in Benton, Ill., according to his son, Phil Reynolds Jr.

As a teenager, Reynolds got his first journalism job in Keokuk, going to work for the Keokuk Daily Gate City and Constitution-Democrat.

He spent a tour of duty with the U.S. Air Force from 1963 to 1966 and later rounded out 20 years of military service with the Texas Air National Guard, the U.S. Air Force Reserve and the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. He was named the Air Force Reserve public affairs technician of the year in 1987 and spent several summers as an instructor at reserve courses at the Defense Information School at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana.

Reynolds worked at WFAA-TV news in Dallas from 1967 to 1974, moving from a position as city hall reporter to legislative correspondent, assignments editor, associate producer and Fort Worth bureau chief.

At KIII-TV in Corpus Christi, he was news anchor and reporter and, in later years, a news producer. He worked at KRIS-TV as a producer and assistant news director.

Reynolds was employed at newspapers in Texas and Arizona. In addition to working at the South Jetty, the Burnet Bulletin and the Messenger, he edited Alice Echo News, the Cave Creek (Arizona) Foothills Sentinel, the Pflugerville Pflag and the Lake Travis View.

He did some part-time work for the Aransas Pass Progress and Ingleside Index, as well as the Taylor Daily Press.

Reynolds was president of the Texas Gulf Coast Press Association from 2008 to 2009. He served on the Texas Press Association Board of Directors as a TGCPA officer.

At the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation – now the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) – Reynolds worked in the agency’s Travel and Information Division. While there, he wrote stories and shot photos for Texas Highways magazine.

He also helped produce public service announcements for the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

Reynolds is survived by his son, three granddaughters, four great grandchildren and other relatives.

At Reynolds’ request, there will be no service. He donated his body for research at the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State University. His wife, Nell, who died in 2020, donated her body to the same organization.

(From the Port Aransas Pass South Jetty.)

DAN FEATHER JR.

MENARD - Dan Feather Jr., former owner and longtime publisher of the Menard News for more than five decades, died Sept. 15. He was 85.

Born during World War II while his father was serving overseas as an Army Air Forces pilot, he grew up in Big Spring and graduated high school in Pilot Point. His father, uncle and grandfather were all printers and small town newspaper publishers.

His career began with a paper route when he was about nine years old. By high school, he was setting type and running presses for the family’s newspapers in Pilot Point and Whitesboro.

After serving in combat in Vietnam, he completed his studies and graduated from the University of North Texas. He taught briefly at an Air Force base school in Altus, Oklahoma, where he met and married Cindy Atkison. They moved to Snyder, where she taught school and he worked for his uncle at the Snyder Daily News.

The Feathers bought the Menard News in 1972.

During his 50 years serving the community with the Menard News, he was an active contributor to the local Chamber of Commerce, the local Business Men’s Association and spent many hours covering community, civic and youth events.

Before the era of ubiquitous digital cameras, he and employee Dorothy Kerns kept extra photos in a box at the front of the news office that were available to the public, free of charge. During that era, many children in Menard picked up the first photos ever taken of them from that box.

In addition to his wife of 56 years, Cindy, Feather is survived by two children, three grandchildren and other relatives.

Memorial service was held Sept. 19 at the First United Methodist Church in Menard. Memorials may be made to the Hope House food pantry in Menard.

EUGENE D. (THE DUKE) MARTELL

MERCEDES - Award-wining Mercedes Enterprise columnist Eugene D. (The Duke) Martell died Sept. 6 at the age of 77.

He began writing a column for the Mercedes Enterprise about 2003 and continued for more than 20 years. An avid writer, he published two books. According to the Enterprise, one of the things Martell was most proud of was winning first place for serious column writing from the South Texas Press Association and the Texas Press Association.

Enterprise Publisher Raul Garcia Jr. said that the loss of Duke Martell will impact all of those he reached with his words, stretching far beyond the Mercedes community.

“He made the Enterprise better each week, and helped lift the publication to award winning newspaper status,” Garcia said. “For that, we are grateful to him and his drive to inspire and inform the masses about his travels, patriotism, friends, family, and political supporters.

He will forever be a part of Mercedes history and the annals of Mercedes community journalism.”

Martwll is survived by three children, eight grandchildren, one great grandchild and many other relatives.

Funeral Mass was held Sept. 11 at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. Burial followed at Ebony Grove Cemetery in Mercedes.