Richard “Dick” A. Nelson, a longtime journalism educator, 85, died on Jan. 23.

Nelson earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Illinois University. In 1976, he earned a PhD in educational administration with a focus in journalism from UW-Madison. He taught high school journalism and English in Belvidere and Arlington Heights, Illinois, before serving as the head of the journalism department at UW-Whitewater. Fifty years ago, he founded the Kettle Moraine Press Association for Wisconsin high school newspaper and yearbook advisers.

Former Milwaukee journalist Mary Joanne Scheffel, 89, of Cedarburg, died on Sunday, April 28.

She graduated as valedictorian in 1953 from Oconto Falls High School, where she served as editor of the school newspaper. After earning her journalism degree in 1958 from Carroll College in Waukesha, she went on to join the Milwaukee Journal as a receptionist and editorial assistant, eventually becoming an editor of the Neighbors/Lifestyle section until her retirement in 1995. 

Sam Martino, 85, died on Saturday, April 20, from a heart attack while mowing his lawn in DeForest, Wisconsin. His career as a journalist and journalism educator spanned more than 60 years.

Martino began his reporting career in high school and later received a scholarship to attend Michigan State University, where he studied journalism and was state editor for the Lansing State Journal. Following completion of his journalism degree in 1962, he continued the work he began in college with the Associated Press and United Press International (UPI) spanning 10 years as a contributing writer to the Washington Post, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor and The Capital Times.

He retired from the Milwaukee Journal in 2000, after 27 years of investigative reporting before joining the teaching staff at UW-Whitewater, where, for 12 years, he inspired future journalists and acted as advisor to the student newspaper. Most recently, he served as a regular contributor to the Edgerton Reporter.