In his 33 years as a New York Daily News staffer, Lowell Limpus’ byline topped stories that filled 83 fat folders in the paper’s morgue. Among them was one that had never been printed. When longtime Reporter (and sometime night city editor) Limpus died of a heart ailment last week at 60, the city desk pulled it out of the files. It was Limpus’ obit, and at the top was a note: “Do me one final favor and use this instead of an effusion by somebody else.”
The News obliged. True to the newsman’s oft-violated creed that newspapermen do not make news, tall, mustached (and sometimes bearded) Lowell Limpus did not mention in his obit many of his best works, such as his 1932 series on Al Capone’s flossy life in the Atlanta Penitentiary. Of Limpus, Limpus wrote:
“This is the last of the 8,700 or more stories I’ve written to appear in the News. It must be the final one because I died yesterday.
“I wrote this, my own obituary, because I know more about the subject than anybody else, and I’d rather have it honest than flowery. I’m not entitled to much praise. I was just a fairly honest, well-meaning sort of guy.
“Most of my adult life was spent working for the News—and I think I may claim that I helped a bit to build it. I served as reporter, editor and head of the United Nations bureau, which I organized. In addition, I wrote half a dozen pretty fair books [including Twentieth Century Warfare, How the Army Fights].
“I was born in Indiana, was raised in Oklahoma, went to West Point and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard. I was a soldier in World War I, a war correspondent in World War II, and a reserve officer for many years. I had a number of very fine friends, some of whom were famous men, and I was proud of every last one of them.
“I was married twice. It was no fault of [my first wife] that our marriage collapsed. I am survived by my second wife, and one small, redheaded, beautiful daughter who was the apple of her daddy’s eye. Her name is Laurel.
“To all my friends, and especially my colleagues on the News, I wish good luck and as much fun as I’ve always gotten out of life. I’m confident I’m off on the greatest adventure of my life; the biggest assignment any newspaperman could have. And now, my friends in the composing room, just finish off this last story slugged ‘Limpus’ with the usual -30-“
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