William W. Marsh

William W. Marsh Naples, FL

William W. Marsh, a journalist and international broadcaster for more than 40 years, died in Naples, on Saturday, September 13, 2014. He was 82.

Marsh spent most of his professional career in Europe, both as a correspondent and news executive. At the time of his retirement in 1994, he was president of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty in Munich, Germany.

Marsh, a 1954 graduate of Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, was originally on track to become a teacher of English literature when he was drafted into the Army in 1956, interrupting his studies at the Brandeis Graduate School. Before beginning basic training he accepted interim positions as editor of three New Jersey weekly newspapers, a decision that ultimately ended his academic aspirations and put him on the path toward a career in journalism.

The Army sent him to Frankfurt, Germany, where he became editor of the V Corps Guardian, an Army weekly newspaper. When he was discharged from the Army in 1958 he married Ingrid Schnell from Giesel, Germany, and was hired as a civilian news editor/broadcaster at the American Forces Network (AFN) in Frankfurt. He was named director of news at AFN in 1961.

In 1965, Marsh became chief of the Berlin news bureau of Radio Free Europe (RFE). It was during this period that he received a master's degree in international relations from Boston University and a translator's certificate in German/English from the German Chamber of Commerce in Berlin.

In 1970 Marsh was named deputy news director of RFE in Munich, a position he held until 1972, when he became director of English broadcasting at the Voice of America (VOA) in Washington, DC. He held this position until 1974, when he was appointed press attache at the American embassy in Bonn, then the capital of West Germany.

Marsh returned to journalism three years later as chief of VOA's European bureau in Munich, responsible for covering Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union as well as East and West Germany. In 1980 he was named news director of VOA in Washington.

In 1982, while still news director at VOA, Marsh became chairman of the task force that established Radio Marti, the government's radio station that broadcast to Cuba.

In 1984, Marsh was named director of RIAS, a U.S. government supported German language radio station in West Berlin that reached audiences in the Eastern and Western Sectors of Berlin and all of East Germany.

In 1986 Marsh was named executive vice president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Inc. in Munich, a position he held until his selection as president of the corporation in 1993.

Marsh is survived by Ingrid, his wife of more than 50 years; and his sons, William and Derick.

William and his wife Anne reside in McLean, VA, and have two children, Katherine and Ian; Derick and his wife, Angela reside in Wilton, CT, and have two sons, Ben and Sam.

A third son, Curtis, died in Alexandria, VA in 1996.

A Memorial Service will be held 11:00 a.m., Friday, September 19, 2014, at the Fuller Funeral Home, 4735 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Brendan's Fund at www.bre ndansfund.org.