Brian Thomsen, 64, of Valders, died unexpectedly on Sunday, March 24, at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay, surrounded by his family.
He grew up helping his grandparents, Fred and Marion Brockman, publishers of the Valders Journal, contributing as a reporter and photographer during high school and college. He assumed the role of editor soon after graduation and eventually became co-owner and publisher, succeeding his grandparents, who founded the newspaper in 1940. Thomsen served on the WNA Board of Directors from 2009 to 2017, serving as president in 2016.