A newspaperman and true friend

The newspaper fraternity lost a talented and dynamic member last week with the tragic death of Wally Lage.

And we personally lost a great friend.

Lage was killed in a drowning accident off the coast of Maine while on an outing with several of his longtime friends in the industry.

His funeral is today in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where he served as chief operating officer of Rust Communications, parent company of this newspaper.

We first met Wally almost 15 years ago when we became part of the Rust family of newspapers and have worked with him on a daily basis since that time.

His guidance has been exceptional during a changing and challenging time in the American newspaper industry. His knowledge, keen intuition and confidence were in evidence as he managed a company that has grown to some 50 newspapers in eight states. The Southeast Missourian in Cape Girardeau is the flagship newspaper of the group.

In managing diverse publishers from across the middle part of the nation, he was immensely respected as a boss, but also revered as a true friend -- perhaps a unique combination in this day and age.

Wally was a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and started his career in the "news side" of the business. But he quickly demonstrated his management skills and was in a publishers position by age 25.

He served as president of Paxton Media in Paducah, Ky., for several years before accepting his position with Rust Communications. Wally always said his decision to join a family-owned corporation was the wisest of his career. The family-oriented atmosphere of the Rust group is well-recognized within the industry and Wally certainly was comfortable in that setting.

Shortly after our becoming a member of the Rust group, the company purchased several other newspapers in Arkansas and we have been involved in regional management, with Wally as our supervisor, mentor and friend.

As was noted in the obituary which ran in the Southeast Missourian, Wally was dedicated to the newspaper business, but even more so to his family. He had four children and eight grandchildren. His wife and several of his grandchildren have experienced serious health issues in the past several years and Wally was always there for them, serving as the solid rock for his family.

The obituary noted that Wally loved golf, convertibles and the St. Louis Cardinals. We spent many memorable times with him on the golf course and also enjoyed sharing our impressions of the latest exploits of our favorite baseball team.

He was a man of faith and passed that along to his children. At the time of his death, these verses from Philippians were found in a prominent place at his desk:

"Dismiss all anxiety from your minds. Present your needs to God in every form of prayer and in petitions full of gratitude. Then God's own peace, which is beyond all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Those words from Paul have served as a calming influence within our company and for all of Wally's many friends from across the nation.