RIP Gwyn (Jocko) Thomas

Quite simply, this man was a Canadian newspaper legend - he spent 60 years at the Toronto Star, 50 of those on the police beat. He won three National Newspaper Awards and was inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame in 1995.

Even in retirement, he was still heard regularly on CFRB radio. He was 96 years old and outlived the reporter who, many years ago, had "banked" an obituary written for Jocko.

http://www.thestar.com/news/obituary/article/805231--gwyn-jocko-thomas-96-legendary-crime-reporter?bn=1

I note with disdain that the url and headline both misspell Jocko's given name. And yet it's somehow fitting, given the final line of this obituary, written by columnist Rosie DiManno. I won't give it away.....see it for yourself.

My first shocked reaction was, "Holy shit, did she really write that?!?!"

My second reaction - Good for her for doing that. I wonder if there will be some heat for it? I don't know what her contract at the Star grants her, but I really hope she demanded that this column not be edited for content in any way.

RIP, Jocko.

EDIT: The headline and url, both of which referred to him as "Gwen," have been fixed, so I updated the url to conform. The scathing but brilliant editorial comment at the end remains.

 

Wow. Wish I could have worked with him.

And I love that last line.