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Veteran Journalist, Guild Leader Floyd Tucker Dies at 76
Floyd A. Tucker Jr., past international vice president of The Newspaper Guild, died in California on Sept. 30, several months after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was 76.
Tucker, who grew up in Sacramento, began his newspaper career in his hometown as an office boy for the news agency United Press Associations in 1951. He went on to work at six Northern California newspapers as a reporter or editor. He was a two-term president of the San Francisco-Oakland Newspaper Guild before serving as vice president of the national Guild from 1979 to 1985.
TNG-CWA President Linda Foley recalled the striking impression Tucker made on her. “From my earliest days in the Guild, I recall his independent thinking and insightful interventions at conventions and his signature handlebar mustache,” she said. “He later became a valued union advisor and friend. His unique contributions to the Guild are treasured and he will be
missed.”
Tucker served from 1944 to 1946 in the Navy in the South Pacific, then graduated from St. Mary’s College near San Francisco in 1950. After jobs at several newspapers, he worked as a copy editor at the San Jose Mercury News and then at the Oakland Tribune from 1961 to 1985. He was a copy editor, assistant news editor, Sunday editor and even the women’s page editor.
After serving the Guild, Tucker edited the California Labor Federation’s newspaper for 12 years, winning several national awards for his work. He retired in 1997 and began helping the Northern California Media Guild put out its publication.
Possessing twinkling eyes and bushy eyebrows, colleagues said Tucker lessened deadline tensions in the newsroom with his storytelling and dry asides about life. “He was one of my early heroes in the Guild,” Larry D. Hatfield, a former TNG-CWA vice president. “He also had a wit that was so dry it sometimes crackled.”
Roger Stonebanks, also a past TNG-CWA vice president, said Tucker “had that wonderful, rare ability to inject humor into serious situations — and thus keep all our feet on the ground.”
Doug Cuthbertson, executive officer of the Northern California Media Guild, said Tucker “was among a small group of leaders in the ’70s and ’80s who fought hard for benefits being enjoyed by hundreds of young members today. They should make a toast to him and remember his name.”
Tucker lived in Oakland with his wife, Marilyn Tucker, a former San Francisco Chronicle music critic.
Tucker, who grew up in Sacramento, began his newspaper career in his hometown as an office boy for the news agency United Press Associations in 1951. He went on to work at six Northern California newspapers as a reporter or editor. He was a two-term president of the San Francisco-Oakland Newspaper Guild before serving as vice president of the national Guild from 1979 to 1985.
TNG-CWA President Linda Foley recalled the striking impression Tucker made on her. “From my earliest days in the Guild, I recall his independent thinking and insightful interventions at conventions and his signature handlebar mustache,” she said. “He later became a valued union advisor and friend. His unique contributions to the Guild are treasured and he will be
missed.”
Tucker served from 1944 to 1946 in the Navy in the South Pacific, then graduated from St. Mary’s College near San Francisco in 1950. After jobs at several newspapers, he worked as a copy editor at the San Jose Mercury News and then at the Oakland Tribune from 1961 to 1985. He was a copy editor, assistant news editor, Sunday editor and even the women’s page editor.
After serving the Guild, Tucker edited the California Labor Federation’s newspaper for 12 years, winning several national awards for his work. He retired in 1997 and began helping the Northern California Media Guild put out its publication.
Possessing twinkling eyes and bushy eyebrows, colleagues said Tucker lessened deadline tensions in the newsroom with his storytelling and dry asides about life. “He was one of my early heroes in the Guild,” Larry D. Hatfield, a former TNG-CWA vice president. “He also had a wit that was so dry it sometimes crackled.”
Roger Stonebanks, also a past TNG-CWA vice president, said Tucker “had that wonderful, rare ability to inject humor into serious situations — and thus keep all our feet on the ground.”
Doug Cuthbertson, executive officer of the Northern California Media Guild, said Tucker “was among a small group of leaders in the ’70s and ’80s who fought hard for benefits being enjoyed by hundreds of young members today. They should make a toast to him and remember his name.”
Tucker lived in Oakland with his wife, Marilyn Tucker, a former San Francisco Chronicle music critic.