San Diego Newsman Neil Morgan Dies

Neil Morgan, 89, was a longtime columnist for "The Tribune" and co-founder of "Voice of San Diego"

On Saturday, longtime San Diego newsman and media icon Neil Morgan passed away at 89.

Morgan joined the Navy after college, and in 1944 he moved to San Diego.

Two years later in 1946, according to the “U-T San Diego," Morgan first began his career as a San Diego journalist in 1946 as an employee of the “San Diego Journal.”  He worked as a columnist and editor of “The Tribune” from 1950 until 1992. When the newspaper became “The San Diego Union-Tribune,” Morgan became the associate editor and senior columnist of the “Union-Tribune.”

Morgan said he was fired from the "Union-Tribune" in 2004.

In 2005, Morgan co-founded “Voice of San Diego” alongside entrepreneur Buzz Woolley, writing and editing for the non-profit website through recent years. He was also the author of 12 books, including "Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel: A Biography," which he co-wrote with his wife, Judith Morgan.

Last year, “Voice of San Diego” established the “Neil Morgan Fund for Investigative Reporting,” a special fund for the investigative team at “Voice of San Diego” to continue creating the type of investigative journalism Morgan loved.

Current “Voice of San Diego” CEO Scott Lewis told NBC 7 that, to this day, Morgan could hardly send an email or take notes without it being poetry. Lewis said Morgan encouraged writers to be controversial in order to make San Diego a better place.

"He was a perfect San Diegan," said Scott, "accepted by San Diego and then he taught us all how to accept San Diego too."

Longtime friend Bob Witty told NBC 7 that Morgan seemed to make friends with everyone he met.

“When people met Neil, people would say he’s nicest person they ever met, finest person they ever met. He had a magnetic personality,” said Witty.

Morgan passed away at his La Jolla home. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

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