July 23, 2014 at 4:48 p.m.
Farewell to a titan: Daily News publisher, editor Dick Timmons leaves lasting legacy
Farewell to a titan: Daily News publisher, editor Dick Timmons leaves lasting legacy
Dick Timmons, who died Sunday at the age of 84, spent his career celebrating and examining the communities he loved. One of those communities was Rhinelander.
For nearly two decades, he dedicated his time and energy to providing the Northwoods with knowledge.
Timmons worked as editor and publisher at the Daily News from 1979 until his retirement in 1998.
Those who worked with him admired his passion for the news business. Former Daily News editor Meredyth Albright said she worked for Timmons for many years and credits much of her success to his guidance.
"Dick was the publisher when I was hired as a reporter," she said. "I eventually became editor. He retired in 1998 and I started in 1980, so I worked 18 years with him. Dick was Dick. He was very unique. He was very politically interested in things and he would get very excited about what was going on. He wanted to make sure we told both sides of the story, and he would get very excited by that."
Albright learned more than the ins and outs of the news business from Timmons. She said she also learned about the intricacies of leadership, how to treat subordinates and how to relate to people from all walks of life.
"He was very passionate and he taught me a lot," she said. "He had a lot of social grace. He loved talking to people and he was polite. He would throw parties for the staff. He had a good blend of business and social business, and I'll always remember that. I learned about that balance from him. He was very passionate. I learned how to channel that passion from him and how to pursue that passion."
Timmons love of the profession was plain to see, according to his son, Bob, a journalist himself. Timmons said his father genuinely cared about Rhinelander and the people who call it home. That meant providing them with quality news coverage day after day.
"He wanted to report on things, whether they were hard stories or good stories," Bob Timmons said. "He loved to sink into that stuff and he loved to stir the pot. He wanted a newspaper that provoked discussion that the community should care about. He wasn't always well-liked for some of those things, but I think people respected him. He was a man of depth and a man of principles. As a journalist, you have to take a stand on some things and that can be tough, but it's very rewarding too."
Andi Seidel worked for Timmons at the Daily News. She said she admired his dedication to the community. He refused to pull any punches, no matter the repercussions.
"He was the publisher when I was there," she said. "I worked there for about 10 years when he was there. He was a fair and honest man. He did a lot for the community and had a really big love for the arts in Rhinelander. We always reported the arts very seriously. He was kind of like a father figure for us at the paper.
"He had an opinion and it didn't matter if someone disagreed with it, he was going to voice that opinion," Seidel added. That led to differences of opinions and that always led to a good editorial piece and a good discussion. He definitely cared a lot."
Timmons has been described as an old-school newsman dedicated to honest, no-holds barred reporting. Albright said he wanted to produce the best possible product and refused to compromise his integrity.
"I think of Kris Gilbertson as an old-school guy, but Dick was another one of those guys who were there before social media was so involved in news reporting," Albright said. "He came up on the advertising side, but I can picture him in the old, stereotypical, smoke-filled newsroom."
Timmons and his wife, Susan, lived in Rhinelander for nearly 35 years and over those years his relationship with the Northwoods grew far beyond just newspaper life. He dedicated much of his free time to giving back to the community he loved so deeply.
Timmons was consistently involved in volunteer work. He was a chairman of the United Way and was recently a commissioner of the Police and Fire Commission. He was also a cancer support volunteer at Ministry St. Mary's Hospital until the day of his passing.
"He loved everything about the Northwoods," Bob Timmons said. "Of course, he loved the natural beauty of the area, but mostly he loved the people. He was really in his element up here. He embraced living here in Rhinelander and tried to make life in the Northwoods a better place for everyone who lives here through the work he did. He cared deeply about his community and the Daily News as well."
After retiring from the newspaper in 1998, Timmons focused on improving the lives of those living in the Northwoods. Sure, he volunteered at a number of organizations, but the commitment that was quite possibly closest to his heart was intertwined with another great love in his life.
"He had a really long history with music," Bob Timmons said. "He played the piano forever. He played the standup bass in a few bands when he was younger. Classical music was really it for him, but he liked big band and certain jazz too. When he retired, he had already done some hosting for WXPR (public radio). One thing led to another and he ended up hosting the mid-day classic show on Thursdays. He did that for 15 years basically. It spoke to him and he was in his element."
It was a way for him to further connect with a community that truly captivated him. Timmons loved the look of the Northwoods. He loved the peace. Most importantly though, he loved his neighbors.
"It was always about the people," Bob Timmons said. My dad had his hand in a lot of things and it was because he loved the Northwoods and loved the people of Rhinelander indisputably. You have to feel principled about things if you're going to be a journalist and that was my dad. Coming to Rhinelander and becoming a publisher, especially in a tight-knit, smaller community that has its issues with growth in ways good and bad, really appealed to my dad. He saw the newspaper as a reflection of that community and he was proud of that."
The legacy that Dick Timmons left behind is still apparent today. That was clear in the River News office when the news of his passing broke and it will continue to be clear for years to come.
River News publisher Gregg Walker said he'll make sure it won't soon be forgotten.
"The Northwoods has been blessed with some very good journalists and Mr. Timmons was one on them," he said. "He did a tremendous job of keeping the public informed and was always fair and balanced while reporting or publishing stories. He was a true gem who will be missed by many in the Rhinelander community."
Timmons spent decades chronicling the ups and the downs of this community and in retirement he did his best to better it in any way he could. He was always there and, like the ink on the pages of a newspaper, he always will be.
He left an imprint that death cannot erase.
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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