Newspaper Article 1999 – Former assistant editor dies

Former assistant editor dies

OBITUARY

Hastings journalist David Curtis died at his home yesterday, aged 63.

Mr Curtis, who was the last assistant editor of the Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune, had suffered a stroke in March shortly before he was due to take retirement with the launch of Hawke’s Bay Today.

Mr Curtis would have celebrated his 31st wedding anniversary tomorrow with his wife Coralie.

She said she originally met David to make up a foursome travelling overseas, but they ended up getting married instead.

They had no children.

Mr Curtis’ funeral will be held in St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Hastings at 11am on Wednesday.

After growing up in Picton, Mr Curtis’ first job was at the Marlborough Express in Blenheim.

He moved north to work at the Napier Daily Telegraph briefly, before moving across to the Herald-Tribune in April 1961.

One of his jobs when he went overseas in 1963 was on the Africa desk for Reuters in London, compiling and subbing stories from that area.

Mr Curtis came back to work at the Herald-Tribune in March 1966 as a sports journalist, better known under the nom de plume Pass Out during the great Hawke’s Bay Ranfurly Shield rugby era.

Sports journalist Frank Long said Mr Curtis was sports editor when he started at the paper in 1973.

“He was brilliant at writing about rugby.”

Mr Curtis became chief reporter in 1975 and assistant editor when James Morgan became editor about 10 years ago.

Another former assistant editor, Lew Knowles, said Mr Curtis had been a good all-round journalist and a great friend.

Former Herald-Tribune chief reporter Terry Tacon said he knew Mr Curtis best for his love of golf. They were often teammates at media golf tournaments.

“Two years ago David won a trophy as the person most highly regarded in the media golf fraternity. He was really chuffed about that,” Mr Tacon said.

Photo caption – DAVID CURTIS