Still, Stephen A.

Oakland Tribune, The (CA) - Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Stephen Allen Still, a former editor at the Oakland Tribune and a man whose devotion and interest in people and his community led to work with the Boy Scouts of America, the Knights of Columbus and the Association of Catholic Newsmen, died Sept. 5 in Oakland. He was 86. 

Mr. Still began his journalism career in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Born there June 2, 1919, Mr. Still graduated from Akron's Garfield High School in 1937 and went on to take night classes at Akron University for three years while working at the Akron Times-Press and the Akron Beacon Journal. 

His journalism career was interrupted for service in the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1945. During that stint, he met his future wife, Constantine Stedman Still. 

"He was in the Navy in World War II, and his ship came into San Francisco," said daughter Stephanie Still. "While he was here, he met my mother. He stayed in California and married (her)." 

The two were married in Berkeley on Oct. 2, 1943. Once settled in California, Mr. Still found work first at the Richmond Independent from 1945 to 1950 and then at the Oroville Mercury from 1950 to 1953. 

"He was always interested in the newspaper business," said his daughter. "He was very interested in people and their stories. He was also very interested in the truth about situations and events. ... He had that nose for news that people talk about." 

Mr. Still began working at the Oakland Tribune in 1953 and was awarded the Joseph R. Knowland award as a reporter in 1956. He became an assistant state editor in 1957 and then state editor in 1959. By 1964, he was a managing editor, and in 1974 he was named an executive editor and later an editorial business director. 

In 1966, Mr. Still testified in the case of Annette Buchanan, a 20-year-old editor of the University of Oregon student newspaper who refused to identify sources in a story she had written. Mr. Still testified, "The protection of the integrity of a news source is probably the first tenet in the practice of a reporter." Later he stated "in most instances the tenet rises above the law." 

In addition to his journalistic work, Mr. Still was deeply involved in community efforts. He served as a Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the Serra Club and was decorated a Knight of the Order of Saint Gregory. He worked extensively with the Boy Scouts of America, served on the Providence Hospital Advisory Board and on the Peralta Colleges Vocational Education Advisory Council. In 1970, Mr. Still was elected president of the Association of Catholic Newsmen. 

"He believed that everybody had a responsibility to help the common good and to build up the community," said his daughter. 

After retiring from the Tribune, Mr. Still worked in the public relations department of St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco. 

In addition to his daughter, Mr. Still is survived by sons Timothy B. Still and Michael A. Still, sister Emily Williams and three grandchildren.