Fred Gerlich dies

Fred Gerlich Jr., former member of the Beacon Journal copy desk and sports editor at the Roswell (NM) Daily Record, died Saturday.

From the Roswell (NM) Daily Record:

Gerlich, Record�s sports desk "pro," dies
The Daily Record has lost its sports editor.

Fred Gerlich, 54, sports editor for the Daily Record since October, died Saturday after a brief illness.

Before coming to the Daily Record, Gerlich had spent his career in news and sports reporting and editing at newspapers in Ohio and Iowa. Sports always was his forte, his wife, June, said.

"He always wanted to be sports editor," she said.

Gerlich had just recently gotten back into the newspaper business after being out for several years, his wife said.

"He liked his job, he liked it here," she said. "He just wanted to move here, start fresh with everything, and retire here."

Gerlich was an unusual person, June said.

"His way of thinking was the principle of things," she said. "He was very giving. ... He was very friendly to people. He would talk to anybody, practically."

Gerlich also was a good provider for his wife and daughter, Chynna Santiago, 17, June said.

"He was supportive of anything I wanted to do," she added.

Gerlich liked to cook and was a good cook, June said. He also liked the family dog, Mimi, an American Eskimo dog.

"She was always around him," she added. "At nighttime she would wait for him" to get home after working late.

He loved sports, especially professional wrestling, his wife said. He followed the Cleveland Indians and the Cleveland Browns and, although an Ohio University graduate, he supported the Ohio State University Buckeyes.

Record News Editor Rob Moore said Gerlich�s death was a loss for the newspaper.
"He was a real pro," Moore said.

Record Editor Mike Bush agreed.

"He knew his stuff," Bush said. "He had developed a good rapport with local coaches and was doing an outstanding job at a difficult position, covering sports at all the high schools in the area. We will miss him greatly."

Record Publisher Cory Beck said Gerlich was "a great guy."

"I am saddened," Beck added. "He was turning around the Sports Department. He was doing a great job. I am heartbroken."

Bush noted Gerlich's death also presents the Record with a challenge, as the position of sports reporter is vacant, leaving no one else in the Sports Department.

"We have procedures in place to try to keep up while we search for a new sports editor, and we will do the best we can to give full coverage to area sports," he added.

"We may miss some things and may not be able to cover everything we would like to cover," Bush said. "We ask coaches and our readers to be understanding and to help us keep up with local sports activities while we find a replacement for Fred."

The classified obit on page B7, col. 1, Monday, March 13, 2006:

Frederick T. Gerlich, Jr., age 54 of Roswell, New Mexico, formerly of Cleveland and Massillon, Ohio, passed away March 4, 2006.

Beloved husband of June Santiago; dear son of the late Frederick T. Sr. and Rita (nee Sullivan) Gerlich; dear father of Melissa Gerlich; stepfather of Chynna Santiago; dear brother of John (Laura Fenton), Dennis (JoAnn Mason), Mary and Gregory (Joyce Marks) Gerlich; dear uncle of Shannon, Ryan, Jacob, Meghan, and Matthew Gerlich; former husband of Judy Glazer.

Memorial service Wednesday, March 15, 2006, 7:30 P.M. at The Schuster-Straker-O'Connor Funeral Home, 5904 Ridge Rd., Parma, where friends may call from 6:30 P.M. until time of service. For directions visit www.ssofh.com.