Gerald Ensley

Gerald Ensley, a consummate newspaperman who artfully wrote the stories of Tallahassee and its people - and fearlessly opined on the most controversial issues of the day - died suddenly Friday after a stroke. He was 66.

In a 40-year journalism career that began almost as a lark, Ensley won more than 50 state and national awards for his wide-ranging work at the Tallahassee Democrat as a sports reporter, news and features writer and columnist.

Witty, self-deprecating and pragmatic, Ensley wrote in his own first-person obituary:

""I was born Aug. 16, 1951 at an Air Force base in Nagoya, Japan. My father was a career Air Force master sergeant who spent 26 years in the Air Force and then spent 10 years working for the federal civil service. My mother was a civil service clerk typist who rose to become a top-level procurement supervisor in the federal government. We lived in Tampa, Maryland, Newfoundland, Satellite Beach and Albuquerque before my father retired to Satellite Beach in 1965 where he and my mother remained the rest of their lives.

""My father died April 26, 1985 at age 64. My mother died Sept. 20, 2004, at age 76. They were married March 17, 1947.

""I have two twin sisters, born 15 months after me. Linda Wallace, the older by five minutes, is a longtime elementary school librarian, and Barbara Parker is a longtime legal aide. Both have been married since 1974 to men they met in college. Linda's husband, Doug Wallace, is a retired top level civilian planner for the U.S. Army. Barbara's husband, Jeff Parker, is a retired Army colonel and former Leon County sheriff's deputy.

""I graduated from Satellite Beach High School in 1969, spent two years at FSU, then dropped out for seven years, during which time I worked numerous jobs, including spending four very entertaining years as a taxi driver in Tallahassee. I went back to FSU in 1978 and got my degree in political science in August 1980. I was sports editor of the Flambeau for two years (1978-1980), and won College Sportswriter Of the Year award from Sports Illustrated in 1980. On Sept. 1, 1980, two weeks after graduating from FSU, I joined the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper as a sportswriter.

""I spent eight years as a sportswriter and in 1988 quit to join two friends in forming a video production company. Democrat Executive Editor Bob Stiff said, ""Don't quit, just take a sabbatical. If in a year you want to come back, you can."" I did exactly that, returning in early 1989. Thank god for Bob Stiff.

""I have written for every regular section the Democrat ever produced (26, as of September 2015) and every special or weekly section we've ever produced, from Game Plan to Living Here to the Century Project to the 1956 Bus Boycott anniversary section.

""I also compiled a book of the late Democrat sports editor Bill McGrotha's columns, ""From The Sidelines, The Best of Bill McGrotha"" (1993) and wrote a 100th anniversary history of the Democrat book, ""Tallahassee Democrat, 100 Years"" (2005) – the two projects I'm most proud of because of my admiration for Bill and my affection for the Democrat.

""As of September 2015, I had won 49 state and national writing awards at the Democrat, winning in more than a dozen categories, from columns to sportswriting to news stories to feature stories to public service stories (list below). I also won an award at the Florida Flambeau, for an even total of 50 awards.

""I met FSU professor, grief counselor and public speaker Sally Karioth while doing a story in September 1986 – and began living with her and her daughter, Amanda, then 8, by the end of the year. Sally and I lived together 19 years before marrying on Oct. 31, 2005. Sally and Amanda are the greatest things that ever happened to me. Sally is the smartest person I ever knew and the best friend I ever had. Amanda is the best child who ever was and became the most wonderful adult.

""Not far behind those two in my affections has been a trio of Scottish terriers, Bonnie, Molly and Dooney. It's unbelievable how much I enjoyed the company of those dogs.

""My hobbies were mostly sports, as I played city league softball with the same team for 35 years, as well as playing city league basketball and flag football for many years. I took up golf in my late 30s and became an avid golfer with a handicap that ranged from 8 to 14.

""I also loved reading all my life. The main reason I became a writer was to pay back all the writers who gave me such pleasure reading.

""I joined the Democrat thinking I would stay a few years then quit to write novels. I assumed everyone wrote for newspapers just to develop their writing chops. I quickly learned the majority of journalists were there because they loved journalism, which is finding out the facts behind issues, events and people and being the public's watchdog. I never really had that kind of curiosity or reformer's zeal. I often felt bad that I didn't share the enthusiasm of most journalists for rooting out malfeasance and telling the public about the news.

""But I did like putting together the puzzle: Finding out the facts or information in a story or person and then fitting it all together in a coherent, explanatory story. I loved the pressure of deadline. I loved starting a story knowing nothing about the topic and by the end of the day being an expert. I came to realize telling other people's stories was my skill, not making up my own.

""Everyone I ever worked with played a hand in developing my skills as a journalist, but none more than longtime Democrat sports editor Bill McGrotha and longtime Democrat editor Ron Hartung. Bill taught me about reporting, especially to think of the questions a reader would ask and to persist until I found the answers. Ron taught me about writing, especially the importance of choosing the right word and saying things in the most concise way possible.

""People who could comment for a story: former Democrat editor Ron Hartung, Tallahassee public works official and former college roommate Mike Scheiner, former county commissioner and longtime sports teammate Gary Yordon, former Democrat sportswriter David Whitley.

""And don't forget to call Sally: She is a master talker and is always dismayed when a guy's wife is not quoted in a news obit.

• I want to die early on a Wednesday morning, in case I merit a story in the newspaper. Early Wednesday doesn't mess with overtime or the weekend. If I die on the weekend, wait until Monday to do the story.
• I want my funeral about noon or 1 p.m. on a Friday, so everyone can get some work done in the morning then take off the rest of the day and play golf or whatever they want to do.
• There can be no religion of any kind at my funeral nor any service in a church. And if anyone claims at the end of my life that I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior, know that they are lying. I've spent my life as an atheist. That's the way I'll die. And hope that hell has been way oversold.
• I want my funeral to be at some place like a Civic Center meeting room, the antique car museum or the FSU Alumni Center. Anywhere spirit-neutral.
• No open casket. No matter how good you look in life, nobody looks good embalmed.
• Don't lionize me. Don't be afraid to be real. Like, ""I liked Gerald, but . . . "" On the other hand, for an obit I wrote on a local scholar, one colleague said, ""I'd classify him as a Class B mind. He could be a real windbag."" Nobody needs to get that real about me.
• If I was being totally egotistical, I would ask to have ""Terry's Song,"" by Bruce Springsteen, played at my funeral. The refrain is ""When they built you, brother, they broke the mold."" And it has that great self-deprecating line: ""You'll be glad to know you've been roundly blessed and cursed.""
• I don't want any cliched quotes from Shakespeare or Tennyson or those insipid inspirational essays like The Dash. If you can't say something on your own, don't say anything at all.
• Don't use the word courage for anything I've done. Courage is only applicable when you put your life on the line. And I never did.
• Don't tell stories from my youth as indicative of my character (funny, smart, whatever). You are the person you became as an adult not the person you were as a kid, no matter how much like a kid you remain.
• Don't say my life was worthwhile because I inspired one person or wrote one story that changed somebody's life. I don't care if my life was worthwhile and have no illusions it should be.
• I didn't live life to its fullest. I often slacked off, took the easy way out, ignored things happening around me, took shortcuts.
• Don't say I'm in a better place. Unless I've gone somewhere with golf courses and beautiful naked women, life is the best place.
• Don't say I died the way I would have wanted to – unless, of course, I've died on a golf course in the arms of a beautiful naked woman. Even so, I'd rather still be alive.
• Don't say I'm ""up there listening."" There is no ""up there"" and wherever I'm at I can't hear anything.
• There are many things I could say about myself but never would. For the same reason I opposed self-evaluations at work: It's up to other people to judge you.
• And, truth be told, I don't really care what other people think.
• Because I really loved life. I had great parents, great sisters, a wonderful childhood, a wonderful wife and a tremendous daughter, a charmed career and a lot of great times and great friends. You can't beat that.""

A celebration of his life will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 24) at the University Center Ballroom on the FSU campus. Bowties are encouraged but not required.

Many have already asked where to send flowers, food and donations. In Perk's memory, we will be launching the ""Gerald Ensley Emerging Journalist Award"" and that is where we will be directing your contributions.

As a young writer, he was nurtured by many who believed in him. He paid that forward by mentoring countless young writers who have gone on to flourish in their own careers. This award will allow his commitment to supporting the next generation of storytellers to continue for many years to come.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make contributions by visiting http://foundation.fsu.edu/more-ways-give/gift-payment-methods
Write ""Gerald Ensley Fund"" as the gift designation. If you'd prefer to mail a check, make it payable to the FSU Foundation and write ""Gerald Ensley Fund"" in the memo line. Checks may be mailed to:

Alexia Chamberlynn, Director of Gift Services
FSU Foundation
2010 Levy Ave. #300
Tallahassee FL 32310