Thursday, September 27, 2007

DC, we are all thinking about you

Our thoughts and prayers are going out tonight to our friend and loyal SPJ member Duren Cheek, whom we are told is gravely ill. Duren served for many years with UPI, later working as a member of the Capitol Hill bureau of The Tennessean, where this reporter first met him as an intern. Duren has played a huge role in the Middle Tennessee Pro Chapter, such as being an integral part of the annual Gridiron show, and the annual benefit golf tournament he put on for the chapter was renamed as the Duren Cheek Invitational a few years ago. Duren, we are thinking about you.

1 comment:

  1. Another former Unipresser mentioned this news to me today. I'm so sorry to hear Duren's doing poorly. He hired me as a reporter in Nashville back in late '84 from the weekly LaFollette Press, starting me on a wire service career that has lasted almost 23 years. To this day, Duren is still the best boss/editor/mentor I've ever had. If someone has an address where I can send an e-mail or card, I'd love to send him my best wishes.

    Margaret Lillard
    AP, Raleigh
    mlillard(at)ap(dot)org

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