L.A. Times’ Frank Del Olmo Dies, Collapsed in Office
“Frank del Olmo, an associate editor and columnist for the Los Angeles Times and a major voice for Latinos in Southern California, died today of an apparent heart attack after collapsing in his office at The Times. He was 55,” the newspaper’s Web site reports.
“Del Olmo was pronounced dead shortly after noon at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles,” continues the story, by Claudia Luther.
“In announcing Del Olmo’s death to the Times’ staff, Managing Editor Dean Baquet said that Del Olmo was ‘one of the most beloved and valued members of the Los Angeles Times family.’
“‘I don’t have to say how much of a blow this is to all of us, and how painful the past few hours have been,’ Baquet said. ‘As much as anyone at the paper, Frank has been an important part of the life of the city, as well as The Times. We’ll all miss him a great deal.’
“During his nearly 34-year career at The Times, Del Olmo was an intern, a staff writer specializing in Latin American affairs, an editorial writer, deputy editor of the editorial page, a Times-Mirror Foundation director and an assistant to the editor of The Times. The latter position put him on the masthead of The Times — the first Latino to be listed among the paper’s top editors.
“In 1984, Del Olmo shared a Pulitzer Prize for meritorious public service for the series ‘Southern California’s Latino Community.’ He was a Nieman fellow at Harvard University in 1987-88. He was inducted into the National Assn. of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame in 2002 and was a founding member of the California Chicano News Media Assn. in 1972.”