Walter Taylor January 26, 1919 - December 17, 2006

Walter C. Taylor Jr., 87, former owner and publisher of the News-Times, formerly the Newport News-Times, and the former Lincoln County Leader, died Dec. 17, 2006, in Bellevue, Wash., from illness related to congestive heart failure.

Walt was born Jan. 26, 1919, in Chicago, Ill., the only child of Ruth Lundell and Walter C. Taylor, Sr.

He most recently was owner from 1981 to 1995 with his son, Thomas, of the award winning Peninsula Gateway weekly newspaper in Gig Harbor, Wash.

For 15 years he was the owner-publisher of the News-Times. Under his leadership the News-Times moved into the building it currently occupies and improved its printing abilities. As part of his legacy, he saw that the News-Times supported Lincoln County schools and the Port of Newport.

The News-Times and its staff earned numerous state and national newspaper awards while Taylor was publisher: Three times, the News-Times or Lincoln County Leader was winner of the Oregon Newspaper Association (ONPA) general excellence award.

Additionally he and his late partner P. Lee Irwin owned and operated Oregon newspapers the Gresham Outlook, the Sandy Post, the Parkrose Enterprise, and the former Lincoln County Times in Waldport. For a time, the two men also were partners in the publication of the Tillamook Herald and the Seaside Signal.

In 1983 Taylor also helped found, with his son, Andrew, JPP, a Japanese language publishing company in Seattle that began publishing Seattle's Japanese language visitors guide and the Soy Source, Seattle's Japanese language newspaper.

Taylor was a graduate of Hirsch High School in Chicago, Ill., where his journalism career began with that school's newspaper.

He was graduated in 1941 from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and began his first full-time job in his chosen field at the Gary Post Tribune in Indiana as a general assignment reporter.

He served from 1942 to 1945 in the U.S. Army and was stationed first at Camp Roberts, Calif., and then at Camp White, Ore., where he edited the Camp White Grenade camp newspaper.

Taylor next was stationed at Bushnell General Hospital in Brigham City, Utah, where he handled public relations related to American wounded soldiers returning from World War II.

After the war, he resumed his career at the Gary Post Tribune before moving to California in 1952, when he and his wife Betty Finch purchased the San Bruno Herald weekly newspaper.

He and his family moved full-time to the Pacific Northwest in 1956 when Taylor went to work as a reporter for the Myrtle Creek Mail weekly newspaper in Oregon.

He next worked as general manager for the Auburn Globe News in Washington before moving to Gresham in 1960 with the purchase of the Gresham Outlook.

In 1965, Taylor and Irwin purchased the Newport News-Times and he moved to Newport to operate the newspaper. He and Betty lived in Newport until 1978, when they moved to Port Ludlow, Wash., where he enjoyed traveling in his boat Copy Hook in Puget Sound waters. He made his home at Port Ludlow and in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Taylor is survived by his wife of 64 years, Betty, now of Issaquah, Wash.; two sons and daughters-in-law, Thomas C. and Darlene Taylor of Rancho Bernardo, Calif., and Andrew C. and Junko Taylor of Bellevue, Wash.; a daughter and son-in-law, Susan Taylor and Al Wehren of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; and seven grandchildren, Sarah Wehren Kooiker of Chicago, Ill. and Jeffrey A. Wehren of Vista, Calif., Nikki A. Taylor of Tacoma, Wash. and Brian C. Taylor of Park City, Utah, and Samuel Y. Taylor, Daniel Y. Taylor, and Marina Y. Taylor, all of Bellevue, Wash.

A ceremony celebrating his life will follow at a later date in Port Ludlow, Wash. The family suggests memorial contributions to the University of Oregon School of Journalism, from which six of Taylor's family members are graduates: Contributions may be made in Taylor's name and sent to the U of O Foundation, Journalism & Communications Development Office, 1275 University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore. 97403.

Arrangements are by Flintoft's Funeral Home and Crematory, 540 E. Sunset Way, Issaquah, Wash., 98027. Friends are invited to share memories and sign the family's on-line guest book at www.flintofts.com.