Former Journal Sentinel, community newspaper editor Mark Maley dies at 61

Mark Maley, a longtime community journalist who later became a spokesman for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, died Friday, Feb. 8, just 40 days after being diagnosed with cancer.

Mark Maley
Mark Maley

Maley, who was 61, started his career as a reporter at the (Libertyville, Ill.) Independent-Register and later as a reporter and editor for Pioneer Press, a chain of weekly newspapers in suburban Chicago.

In 1989, he became executive editor of Community Newspapers Inc., where he oversaw nearly two dozen weekly newspapers in suburban Milwaukee. He went on to serve in a number of editorial roles with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, including state editor, political editor, online editor and editor-in-chief of the Journal Sentinel’s NOW Newspapers.

In October 2010, Maley joined the online news group Patch, where he was the founding editor of the company’s Wisconsin websites.

He went on to become an associate lecturer at UW-Milwaukee before taking a job with the WEDC. In between two stints at the state’s jobs agency, Maley served as managing editor of The Elkhart Truth in northern Indiana.

Maley is survived by his wife Debbie, daughter Erica and his son Kobi. A crowdfunding campaign has been established for the family here.

Visitation will be 10 a.m. until noon on Feb. 24, 2019 at Church and Chapel Funeral Home, 380 Bluemound Rd., Waukesha. Services will follow at noon.

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Wisconsin Newspaper Association