Military reporter James Crawley '78 dies

I was shocked and very saddened to learn of Mr. Crawley's death Tuesday from brain cancer. Here are links and excerpts from Editor & Publisher.

James Crawley, Military Reporters and Editors President, Dies

James Crawley, a longtime military reporter who embedded during the invasion of Iraq and served as president of Military Reporters and Editors, died Tuesday night, according to Sig Christenson, a MRE board member.
Crawley, 51, had been battling brain cancer since late 2007, and had been unemployed for several months after being laid off from Media General's Washington bureau as part of a reorganization.

MRE's Crawley Was a Newsman and a Gentleman

In the weeks leading up to his death, Crawley was anything but a bitter or saddened figure. In several phone calls, he kept an optimistic outlook and seemed more interested in the well-being of his fellow journalists who were losing jobs than himself. He wanted no sympathy and remained adamant about keeping a positive focus.

I got to chat with him a little bit last year when I posted a little item about him. He was so kind and funny when we talked, and even got me to pull a running gag on an old friend of his. My thoughts are with his family and his many friends.