Newspaper

AREA REPORTER, EDITOR, COACH, RUNNER, FRIEND DIES JAN. 9

by Wendy Nugent, Newton Now

There are some people who’ve quietly crawled into our hearts, and we don’t always realize it until they pass away. One of those people was local journalist Bill Wilson of Burrton, who died on Wednesday, Jan. 9, from pneumonia. He had been fighting cancer for quite some time.

Wilson, former news editor at The Newton Kansan who also worked at The Wichita Eagle, The Hutchinson News and Wichita Business Journal, was a well-known face around Harvey and Sedgwick counties, having worked at the Kansan for more than a decade. He loved the Oklahoma University Sooners and referred to that state as “God’s Country.” He was quick with witty comments and could write a news story and have a verbal conversation at the same time. He used to say in his self-depricating way he had a face for radio. After a certain lifestyle editor at the Kansan would leave the newsroom for the day and say, “See you later,” he’s always say, “Not if I see you first.”

Regional journalists from a variety of publications and entities, including The Wichita Business Journal, The Ark Valley News, Kansas Press Association, Newton Now, The Derby Reporter and Omaha World-Herald shared the sad news on Facebook Wednesday, having discussions with each other and catching up on old times.

People wrote how they’d miss Wilson and that he was a mentor. Some recalled humorous times. Others talked about how much he liked sports.

One former reporter, editor and photographer at The Wichita Eagle, Roy Wenzl, spoke about their bond.

“We interviewed Charles and David Koch together, and had many a good talk,” he wrote on Facebook. “I seldom laughed as hard as when Bill joked. We used to yell ‘Benghazi!’ from across the newsroom at each other, and we’d laugh, and everyone else would roll their eyes. Life isn’t fair, but Bill made it fun. Benghazi, my friend.”

One close friend, Newton businessman Phil Anderson, was saddened to hear about Wilson’s passing, saying he sent a Christmas card to Wilson, but it was returned because he had mailed it to the wrong address by mistake, so Anderson sent the card to the Wichita Business Journal.

Anderson said journalism probably was Wilson’s whole life.

“He interviewed my father, us,” Anderson said. “He was a family friend. He’d written many stories about our family business.”

He said during the bookstore’s 100th anniversary, Wilson wrote a large story about it and interviewed Virginia Anderson and him after Anderson’s son Clay passed away. Virginia was married to Clay.

“He loved the news,” Anderson said. “I really feel like I lost a personal friend. He was always on top of every news article.”

Anderson also said when his wife, Jan, died Wilson was there for him.

“It’s sure tough,” Anderson said. “He sure enjoyed keeping up with everything. Just a personal loss.”

Retired Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton recalled good times with Wilson.

“I met Bill while I was serving with the Newton Police Department,” Walton said. “Bill would come to the station each morning and go over the the daily police reports. Bill would often interview me about cases we had been working on or arrests we had made. He was a tough reporter, asked in-depth questions and dug deep when he was writing his articles. At the end of each of my meetings with Bill, he would say something amusing, give me the Bill Wilson smile and shuffle out the door.”

Walton said they stayed in touch after Wilson left the Kansan.

“As my career went from Investigations with the Newton Police Department to being sheriff of Harvey County, Bill would call every now and then and ask me about financial crimes we were investigating and tell me about his job with the Wichita Eagle,” Walton said.

Wilson told Walton he wanted to write a book about Walton’s career in law enforcement.

“He had found the stories I shared with him unique and fascinating,” Walton said. “Unfortunately, we never got a page written. Bill was a true newspaper reporter; I feel so fortunate to have known him. I truly believe that if there are newspapers or books in heaven, Bill is right now actively pounding out a story and reading it over with that or so familiar Bill Wilson smile.”

Another reporter, Laurie Bean Chapman who worked with Wilson at the Kansan, recalled how he mentored her.

“I’m still working on laughing more through the stressful moments,” she said on Facebook to Bill after he passed. “I finally got that story; you will know what I’m referring to. I chased it for hours wondering if I was actually lost and going to find myself in another state. But when I arrived and completed my interviews, I thought of you. Twenty years later, you were still a mentor. Rest easy my friend.”

Former Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton

Wilson had a long career in journalism and won a variety of prestigious awards, including those from the Kansas Press Association like the Victor Murdock Award.

Another co-worker, Laurie Dove, who worked with him at the Kansan and now is with Dove Media Group Inc., had good thoughts on Wilson as well.

“I think Bill would be surprised, and probably a little chagrined, about the amount of attention he is receiving today as news of his death spreads,” she said. “I don’t think he fully understood the impact he had on so many lives, including mine. He was a force of nature in the newsroom, and was one of the earliest reasons I fell in love with my profession as a journalist. In those early days of my career, he was a mentor to me—personally and professionally—over many a Druber’s donut. He will be missed.”

Barb Burns, former director of community engagement with the City of Newton, remembered Wilson’s dedication to his craft.

“Bill Wilson was a dedicated journalist, an enthusiastic sports fan, and a loyal and supportive friend,” she said. “Bill rose through the ranks of the Wichita news arena, but he never lost his love for Newton and Harvey County. He will be missed by those who knew him best, and fondly remembered by all who knew him. Peace, Bill.”

Another Newton fixture, attorney Joe Robb, said Wilson will be missed.

“I told my brother, John, this morning how sad I am about Bill’s passing,” he said. “He and I kept up with each other some through Facebook, and he continued to jab me about the Jayhawks as I jabbed him about the Sooners. If you wanted to get him red faced just jump into a Sooner discussion! He was so fun. His wit was great, and he had such a great knowledge of and love for our community during his years here.”

Robb said we all saw him regularly at so many community events all of those years, and he was a great person with whom to interact.

“Most importantly, he was a solid journalist,” Robb said. “Always looking for the truth, willing to champion things for our area and not afraid to tell it like it was.”

Wilson was a runner and a coach.

“Things I will always remember about Bill Wilson: how he jogged circles around Burrton for years and never seemed to get tired, how every summer from T-ball to Babe Ruth he coached my brother and his friends (and later coached my nephew and niece), the hours he spent at the ballpark passing on his love for sports makes me want to be a better coach, how well he supported HS athletics when he was at The Newton Kansan,” Abby Reed said. “He gave Burrton some press during the good seasons and the bad.”