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Colleagues pay tribute as former group editor dies at 51

Colleagues of a former weekly group editor who has died aged 51 have paid tribute to a “wise, funny and talented” newspaperman.

John Killeen, left,  joined the Hendon Times as a trainee in 1987 and rose to become its editor in the course of a 19-year career with the paper.

He left the Newsquest-owned title in 2006 and his death was reported in the paper this week.

One of his former colleagues described John as “the best first editor a journalist could wish for.”

John was editor of the North London weekly and its sister Newsquest titles from 1999 until 2006.

He had originally been hired by the then group editor Barry Brennan after coming in on a week’s work experience in 1987.

Said Barry: “I’d interviewed him, a Dublin University graduate, and felt he had the talent to be a fine newspaper reporter.

“After a week’s work experience I told this young Irishman I was signing him up.”

John went on to become Barry’s deputy and then his eventual successor.

“When I retired in 1999 I was delighted that Newsquest appointed him my job. He did well there too,” said Barry.

Added Barry:  “He was a very trustworthy man, he had a good moral outlook, he enjoyed a pint of Guinness and was always very helpful to everyone he worked with.

“He was a cheerful man and was absolutely rated by his fellow journalists.”

Nicole Lampert, one of John’s former colleagues, said: “John was the best first editor a journalist could wish for: wise, funny and kind.

“He had a dry sense of humour but always had a wry smile on his face – however stressful the situation. I learned so much from him.”

Vanessa Thorpe, who worked at the Hendon Times with John in the 1990s, said: “He was great to work with because he was so relaxed and yet he got still got things done – creating a stylish arts and listings supplement while I was there.

“He was very pleasant to be with, while being ironic and funny too. “

6 comments

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  • April 17, 2014 at 12:10 pm
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    John was the first person to show me the internet (before most people had heard of it) and he knew it would change the newspaper business irrevocably. As an early-adopter, he was the perfect person at the helm for the transition online and, in a time of great uncertainty, he worked very hard to minimise the effect of the boardroom on the newsroom. As his deputy, I saw firsthand how much he believed in news that was local and wanted to preserve it for another generation. As a person, he had a wonderful combination of humour, candour and intelligence. I’ll always remember his unswerving decency as a human being and, of course, his passing is heartwrenchingly premature for those who loved him.

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  • April 17, 2014 at 2:01 pm
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    I had the pleasure of knowing John for several years in my role as head of pre-entry training for Westminster Press and the Editorial Centre in Hastings.
    He and Barry Brennan were responsible for recruiting and developing a succession of super trainee journalists over a long period.
    I have fond memories of a warm and gentle man dedicated to the profession. There was humour, too, and a sense of fun. I seem to recall that he loved both opera and motorbiking.
    There are many journalists out there who were indebted to John and learned a lot from him. God bless.

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  • April 17, 2014 at 4:13 pm
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    In an age when the standards and morals of the press are being questioned like never before, John symbolised the highest standards of decency and professionalism. A lovely man with an even lovelier sense of humour. A sad, sad loss. My prayers go out to his family.

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  • April 23, 2014 at 7:28 pm
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    This is very sad news. I worked with John for a brief period when he was deputy editor at The Hendon Times. He was, as others have said, a journalist who had the highest standards and was always encouraging to those who worked for him. He also had a wry sense of humour and was pretty unflappable whatever deadlines were approaching.

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  • April 23, 2014 at 11:27 pm
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    Sad news. Worked with John while he was deputy editor at The Hendon Times. Wry, unflappable and just a nice guy all round.

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  • April 29, 2014 at 4:55 pm
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    I was another of those editors who joined John Killeen to help journalist trainees at weekend school in Oxford, Durham and York. It was always a pleasure to see and talk to him and listen to his quiet unassuming comments. A lovely man and it’s so sad to hear he has gone so soon.

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