William I. "Bill" Bookman

Bookman William I. "Bill" Bookman was born in New York City in 1922 and raised in New Rochelle, NY. He was graduated from the University Of Missouri School Of Journalism and served overseas during World War II with the U.S. Army Field Artillery. He was married in 1945 to Nancy Jean Noye of Detroit, MI, who had been on a sight-seeing trip to New York when they met at the Statue of Liberty. Mrs. Bookman died in 2005. He is survived by daughters, Susan Koerber (Walt) of San Francisco, CA and Kathryn Hackney (Tom) of Pataskala, OH; and grandson, Ben Hackney of Culver, CA; and sister, Janet Meyer of Morengo, OH. As a reporter for the Yonkers Herald Statesman, Bill was nominated for a Pulitzer prize in 1954 for his articles deploring a state attempt to run the New York Thruway through recreation and parkland in Yonkers. Bill was editor of the Reporter Dispatch, the daily newspaper in White Plains, NY from 1960 to 1971, during which time the newspaper's circulation grew by 20 percent. He then was named associate editor of Gannett Suburban Newspaper from 1971 to 2005, during which time he wrote editorials and a weekly column, "Fifty-Five Plus," whose motto was, "Aging Is What You Make It" He was honored by the Westchester Office for the Aging for his work in publicizing the roles that senior are playing in the Community. During that period he also served a term as president of the New York State Society of Newspaper Editors. He was a founder of the State's freedom of Information Law and its ground-breaking Committee on open Government. Bill organized the New York Child Abuse Prevention Center for the National Exchange Club in 1982 and was its first president. The center successfully uses trained volunteers to work with parents in homes where serious child abuse could develop. Bill was a long time resident of White Plains until moving to Trillium Place in Columbus, OH on December 1, 2005. In November of 2009, he moved in with his daughter Kathryn and his Son-in-law Tom Hackney. There will be no funeral per Mr. Bookman's wishes. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in his honor to the Alzheimer's Association of Central Ohio, 1379 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215.