David Casstevens Died Jan. 24, 2024 Dallas The Dallas Morning News David Casstevens, a lyrical writer who never let X’s and O’s get in the way of a good story in a career spanning five decades with seven newspapers, including The Dallas Morning News, died Jan. 24, 2024,after a long, debilitating struggle with COVID. He was 77. He was a University of Texas journalism graduate and a sportswriter for The Daily Texan. Casstevens won local, state and national sports writing awards as a beat reporter, feature writer and columnist, but he also authored or co-authored three books and spent the last two decades in his native […]
Read more →In Memoriam: Pamela Anne Baggett-Wallis Died Dec. 2, 2023 Johnson City, Texas Pam Baggett-Wallis passed away Dec. 2, 2023 at home in the arms of her loving husband, Jesse, after a long-fought battle with cancer. Born in Colorado, Pam took a short detour to Oklahoma then arrived in Texas “as soon as she could.” She grew up in Fort Worth and spent a lot of time with her adoptive father’s family in Archer City which made her very proud of her Texas roots. She first attended Our Lady of Victory for grades 1-6. She then attended Rosemont Junior High […]
Read more →Loretta Mae Diggs Pendergraft Died Dec. 20, 2023 Wichita, Kansas Loretta Mae Diggs Pendergraft, 105, passed away in Wichita on December 20, 2023 after a bout with Covid. She lived in Kansas most of her life but traveled extensively with her husband, Keith Pendergraft, until his death in 2015. She is survived by her daughter, Jo Pendergraft Clifton and son-in-law, Roger Duncan, her brother- in- law, Roger Pendergraft, and several nieces and nephews, as well as friends who will miss her sense of humor. Jo is a journalist in Austin, Texas. Loretta was a strong supporter of student journalism and […]
Read more →Albert “Dick” Richard Elam Jr. Died Nov. 15, 2023 Austin, Texas Albert Richard Elam, Jr., 95, sailed to new ports on November 15, 2023, peacefully passing with family present. An avid sailboat competitor, journalist, University professor, artist, author and traveler, he leaves behind a treasure of stories, instruction, laughs and love of life. Dick Elam was born in 1928 in Pecos, Texas to Lena and Albert (Red) Elam. He began his lifetime profession and avocation as a writer at The Abilene Reporter-News, where he landed his first job as a cub reporter at the age of 13. Graduating from Abilene […]
Read more →John Anders Died Oct. 16, 2023 Dallas, Texas From The Dallas Morning News John Anders, whose lyrical writing, eclectic tastes and vast knowledge of Texas and his own distinct passions guided his career at The Dallas Morning News for 32 years, more than 20 of which he spent as one of the paper’s leading columnists, died Oct. 16, 2023. He was 77. His family said the cause was complications from multiple myeloma and surgery for diverticulitis, a digestive issue. Born in Lexington, Ky., in 1946, Anders and his parents moved to Texas when he was young. He grew up in East […]
Read more →Bill Little Died Aug. 18, 2023 Austin, Texas From Texassports.com Legendary University of Texas Athletics Administrator Bill Little passed away peacefully surrounded by family Friday evening in Austin. He was 81. Celebration of life services are pending and forthcoming. Little was the face — and often the voice — of Longhorn athletics for more than 50 years. Long before sports reporting turned digital, Little, as sports editor of The Daily Texan, was hammering out copy on a manual Royal typewriter. He continued to masterfully and skillfully share stories of Longhorn Athletics through the many transformations of broadcast radio and television, […]
Read more →Murray Lawrence Forsvall Died July 12, 2023 Dallas, Texas Murray Lawrence Forsvall, who spent his life as a sports participant and started his career as a sportswriter for The Daily Texan in the 1950s, passed away on July 12 at the age of 91 in Dallas. Forsvall not only was an accomplished sportswriter, but a golfer, runner, and racecar driver. He spent most of his career with the Dallas Times Herald. An Austin native, it was fitting that Forsvall grew up in a North Austin house that backed up to the 12th hole of what was then the Austin Country […]
Read more →Mark Worth Died June 7, 2023 Washington, D.C. Mark Worth, a copy editor who spent nearly two decades at the Miami Herald and most recently worked at The Washington Post, was found dead June 7 at his home in Washington. He was 42. His mother, Dianne Worth, confirmed the death. A spokeswoman for the office of the D.C. medical examiner said determination of the cause of death was pending an autopsy and further tests. Mr. Worth spent much of his career at the Herald, where he was lead copy editor on many investigative stories and also had stints as a […]
Read more →Hoyt Purvis Died May 26, 2023 Fayetteville, AR. Former Daily Texan Editor Hoyt Purvis has died at age 83. Purvis was a UT graduate, Texan editor, and later worked at the Houston Chronicle. His life was dedicated to journalism, education and he served as a political adviser for key figures in Washington for many years; he also worked on Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign. The full obituary from Legacy.com is posted below. From Legacy.com Hoyt Hughes Purvis, 83, of Fayetteville, AR, passed away peacefully on May 26, 2023. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and friend and […]
Read more →Craig Bird Died Dec. 12, 2022 Fort Worth By Baptist News Global Baptist journalist and educator Craig Bird died Dec. 12 at age 73 due to complications from a fall he experienced the week before, according to his family. Bird, who was born in Arkansas on Oct. 4, 1949, to Clyde and C.W. Bird, most recently served 17 years as a professor at Baptist University of the Americas in San Antonio, Texas, where he taught cross-cultural communications and theology. Prior to that, he served a string of Baptist agencies as a journalist, most notably as a pioneer in a bold experiment by […]
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