Frances Segraves

Frances Segraves Local Journalist / Activist

Frances Segraves, retired writer and editor, passed away Wednesday, January 14, at Holy Cross Hospital of respiratory failure. She was 87.

Frances was born in Frederick, MD, and graduated from Hood College. She was a writer and editor at several news outlets including The Frederick News, The Baltimore Sun, Bethlehem Globe-Times, The Washington Star and The Futurist Magazine.

Segraves was married to the late John Segraves a writer and editor at the Washington Star. Her son, Mark Segraves is a reporter at NBC 4 News and WNEW radio in D.C.

Frances was one of the first female reporters in the 1950s to cover hard news at a major newspaper. Segraves left the Baltimore Sun's Woman's section to follow her dream of being a hard news reporter. She eventually became the crime and courts reporter for the Bethlehem Globe-Times.

In the 1960s, Segraves became active in the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements in Washington, D.C. In 1969 she was a co-signature to the End The War Ad Hoc Committee's petition that was published in the Washington Post. Segraves participated in all the major civil rights and anti-war marches of the 1960's and often opened her Bethesda home to provide housing for visiting protestors.

In the mid 1970s, Segraves returned to writing. In 1976 she shared opposing bylines with her husband in the Washington Star's Calendar section. In 1980s, Segraves went to work as a staff editor for The Futurist Magazine. Segraves had been part of the volunteer effort that launched the Bethesda-based journal decades earlier.

Frances is survived by her son Mark of Washington, DC, and his wife, Laura and their sons Logan and Finn as well as her cousin Irving Thomas of McLean, VA.

A memorial service will be held Saturday January 24 at 1pm at the Brookmont Church at 4000 Virginia Place in Bethesda, MD. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press or the Brookmont Church. Frances' son, Mark can be reached at 202-997-1576 Mark.Segraves@nbcuni.com