The former writer of a tiny newspaper within the U.S. Virgin Islands, who helped information it to a prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in Journalism, has died. Ronald Eugene Dillman, 88, quietly passed on to the great beyond Wednesday night time, April 5, at a care facility in Fort Myers, Florida. He have been struggling Alzheimer’s illness for the previous a number of months.
Dillman used to be appointed government editor of The Daily News of the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1980 and later used to be promoted to writer. It used to be as writer in 1995 when the paper, which had a stream of 16.400 and 18 full-time editors and newshounds, garnered the Pulitzer for Public Service, essentially the most prominent stage of the Pulitzers.
The Daily News, then a Gannett newspaper, used to be commemorated for a 10-part collection on crime, “Virgin Island Crime: Who’s to Blame?” The collection, which initiated many reforms, described a police division that seldom stuck criminals, prosecutors who seldom gained circumstances, judges who passed out gentle sentences and a narcotics power inundated with corruption.
Penny Feuerzeig, then the paper’s government editor, identified that the target of the collection used to be to give an explanation for why the Virgin Islands handled crime so hospitably. Melvin L. Claxton, the lead reporter and author within the collection, mentioned a police proof room used to be so disorganized that proof disappeared robotically.
Both Feuerzeig and Claxton mentioned their revel in operating with Dillman.
“Ron was an absolutely terrific boss,” Feuerzeig mentioned. “Never in the time that I was executive editor did I ever remember him saying no to running a story. We were partners in fighting corruption, and the crime was corruption at all levels. There were no sacred cows. It didn’t matter who you knew, we tried to be the voice of the community.
“Ron has been ignored since he left The Daily News. I’m thankful for the years within the trenches, and the numerous years as my boss.”
Said Claxton: “Ron Dillman had one of the vital tough jobs in journalism, managing an competitive investigative newspaper in a small, close-knit neighborhood. Many objectives of the newspapers’ investigators had been his pals, mates and promoting purchasers. They ceaselessly gave him an earful and threatened to drag commercials.
“But Ron navigated the demanding media landscape and allowed reporters, editors and photographers to tell their stories that held community leaders and powerbrokers to account. Despite the daily pressures, he ultimately always sided with good journalism. He made his community better, and there can be no higher praise for a journalist.”
Another one who labored carefully with Dillman used to be Mike Coleman, former Gannett senior vp and head of the crowd Dillman labored in. “Ron and I had a variety of connections, as execs first in Illinois and then when he was publisher of The Daily News. One could always count on Ron for news integrity, creativity and commitment to the newspaper, his customers and employees.”
Ron Dillman used to be born March 7, 1935, in Danville, Ill., the son of Max and Mildred Dillman. He graduated in 1953 from Ridge Farm Township School, the place he used to be energetic in all sports activities. He attended Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., the place he first exhibited a willing hobby in–and aptitude for–journalism as a reporter for the school newspaper, The Palladium. He then attended the University of Illinois’ College of Journalism.
He joined in 1958 the Danville Ill., Commercial-News, additionally then a Gannett newspaper, and spent the following 22 years there, operating his manner up from normal reporter, sports activities editor, town editor, columnist and government editor. While in Danville he married the previous Diana Walker of Henning. Their marriage led to divorce. She lives in Naples, Fl.
He moved to St. Thomas in 1980 as government editor of the Daily News. Throughout his tenure there he complained about allegedly corrupt politicians and police. That disgust led The Daily News to start out its investigations into the corrupt politics and police there.
Dillman married Lorna Quamina in St. Thomas in 1985. He followed her daughter, Tiffany, quickly after their marriage. Lorna and Dillman divorced in 1991. Dillman endured to be on the subject of his daughter right through his existence. He is survived through Lorna, Tiffany, Tiffany’s two kids, Alexzander and Trista, all of Virginia Beach, Va.,in addition to his brother, Terry, and his spouse, Susan, who reside in La Quinta, Ca. Dillman used to be predeceased through a sister, Melba Cormaney, of Nashville, Tenn., in 2019.