DAVID OYLER

David Dwight Oyler

A veteran newspaperman, died at home Thursday morning, June 30, 2005, after a 6-month bout with cancer.

The 68-year-old copy editor, who worked for The News Journal for 37 years, came to Wilmington in 1967 after 15 years as a reporter and editor at the Johnstown (PA) Tribune Democrat. He held a number of positions at The News Journal, including news editor – a position that carried the responsibility of deciding what news stories went in the paper and where to put them. He did it so well that he earned several awards from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Press Association, including the prestigious Keystone Press Award for page layout and design. Today, such decisions are made by committee. In Mr. Oyler's day, the news editor's job was an awesome duty that could consume and crush a person. He gave up the job only after he was temporarily disabled several times by a serious muscle-weakening disease, myasthenia gravis. But he continued to work on the news desk and his colleagues considered him the best all-round deskman in the business. Mr. Oyler stood well over 6 feet and sported a trimmed yet prominent walrus-style moustache. He was a quiet man, but had a wonderful sense of humor and a booming laugh that was honest and quick. He studied chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown, his hometown. But he went to work for the local daily paper in his senior year and never went back to chemistry. He loved sports of all kinds, particularly baseball and football. He remained a loyal Pittsburgh Steelers fan after moving to Wilmington, but admitted he could tolerate the Philadelphia Eagles on occasion. Mr. Oyler had an open and inventive mind, and loved traveling. He and his wife, retired newspaper editor, Nan Clements Oyler, traveled to Nova Scotia, France, England, Ireland and Wales, where they visited the town his mother's family came from and he had his picture taken at the 1200-year-old St. David's Cathedral. They visited 2 Grand Canyons – the famous one in AZ and the second in northern PA. And they were not afraid of unplanned trips – one year they started out for KY and ended up in Pittsburgh, PA. Over the years, the family – who called him "Moose" – had a number of dogs who always regarded him as the man in charge. He nearly always watched television in his Wilmington home with a dog at his feet or on his lap.

Surviving, besides his wife of 28 years, are 4 daughters, Nancy Stanford and Maida Oyler of Dallas, TX, Joan Crowder of Longmont, CO and Kathryn Hendrix of Newark, DE; 3 sons, Robert Oyler of Charleston, WV, David M. Oyler and Lester Hendrix, both of Wilmington, DE; a sister, Gwen Swick of Johnstown; 14 grandchildren; 1 great grandchild; and his former wife, Helen, of Dallas, TX.

A service will be held at the CHANDLER FUNERAL HOME, 2506 Concord Pike, Wilmington, at 11 am on Tuesday July 5, 2005, where friends may call 1 hour before the service. Burial will be private.

Those who wish may donate to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, Suite S256, 1821 University Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104.

www.chandlerfuneralhome.com

302-478-7100