The Evening Gazette on Teesside is in mourning after the tragic deathof award-winning journalist Tony Dumphy.

Tony, (53), died at home withhis family beside him. He had been diagnosed with cancer in July.

Editor Steve Dyson said: "Tony was the kind of journalist who could takeyour breath away.

"He could tweak journalists' copy better than anyone else so that itsparkled; he could create superb headlines that shone brightly; and yet healso worked tirelessly at keeping the production wheels of the Gazettemoving smoothly, ensuring the six-day-a-week, multi-edition newspaper wasalways out on the streets in time for eager readers.

"He would delight in adding his own touch of quality to every edition,tackling new technology, guiding numerous editors and driving the wholenewsfloor with enthusiasm along the way."

Tony joined the Evening Gazette in 1979 as a sub-editor, quickly working hisway up the ranks to become chief sub-editor in 1989.

He was made production editor in 1994 and since 1996 had been head of editorial production.

It was in these senior design roles that Tony three times won 'The SplashAward' for front and back-page sub-editing in the North-east regional pressawards.

The hat-trick came in May this year, (pictured).

It was a career which also saw Tony train many of today's top journalists -many of whom kept in touch with him despite working on nationals and asexecutives on papers up and down the country.

Tony, originally from Manchester, spent a total of 25 years at the EveningGazette's Borough Road headquarters.

He had previously worked in journalism at She magazine and on a weeklyseries of papers.

Before joining the Gazette, Tony spent some time teaching English in Spain,where he had also worked as a shepherd.

He was proud of this background, as he was of working as a milkman and in abrewery on returning to England.

But his real passions were his family, the Gazette, Teesside and ManchesterCity.

Steve added: "There are many people grieving at the Gazette and aroundthe country. But our hearts go out especially to Tony's devoted family."

Tony leaves a wife, Barbara, and two children, Alex and Alison.

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