Mark Lundahl 1953-2010
By Guy Clifton, Reno Gazette-Journal
Mark Lundahl, managing editor at the Reno Gazette-Journal and veteran newspaperman, died Tuesday after a brief illness.
He was 57.
Lundahl joined the Gazette-Journal as a news reporter in March 1987 and held numerous titles during his 23 years at the paper, including assistant city editor, city editor, assistant managing editor, senior editor for news and multimedia and managing editor.
Mark Lundahl
He was remembered Tuesday for his skills as an editor, his calm under deadline pressure and his unbridled passion for news, history, music and gardening.
“Mark was an historian, a wordsmith and a coach,” said RGJ President and Publisher Ted Power. “He was the conscience and spirit of the newsroom. But mostly he was a friend with a smile and laugh to make everyone feel at ease and at home.”
Former RGJ editor Ward Bushee, now editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, promoted Lundahl to city editor in 1994. He said Lundahl “was a gifted newspaper man who had extraordinary editing skills, news judgment and courage.”