Sad news to report to start this week, Kansas City reporter Tom Bogdon passed away over the weekend. I recently had a chat his friend and KC Tribune partner Beth Brubaker.
“He kept rallying back in these past weeks and we were all really hopeful,” she said. “There was some talk that we might have been able to take him home for Christmas.”
Ultimately, Bogdon succumbed to lung cancer. Ever the community reporter, Brubaker notes that only last week Tom was calling and checking on stories that the weekly online paper would be running.
Bogdon had worked on The KC Tribune for more approximately 2 years. Before the local journalist had spent several years working at The Kansas City Star and KC View.
While funeral arrangements are now being planned there is a hope that Bogdon’s “dream” will remain intact and Brubaker maintains that KC Tribune hopes to keep on publishing.
Tony Botello
craig glazer
He interviewed me in Westport Tony, nice man. Here you write something nice about someone and get no love. Tom seemed to be a caring man and a guy who loved Kansas City. I wish his family well.
Dexter Morgan
Was Tom a smoker?
gecko
Tom was an excellent journalist and a wonderful human being. Kansas City will miss him.
Benita
When I decided to make a career change from the practice of law to journalism (I’ve since returned to the law however) Tom Bogdon, at what was then the Labor Times, was the first to take a chance on me and actually pay me for my writing. Those clips led to other jobs and launched an 11-year newspaper reporting career that helped me mature in so many ways, professionall and personally. I also gained a new respect for the labor community. We will miss you Tom.
midtown miscreant
I met with Tom about 8 months ago, he was my girlfriends uncle through marriage. We met at Harlings, middle of saturday afternoon. I was looking for a writing job, he was trying to get me to do sales for the Tribune. What I came away with was no job, but an impression of the guys love for the Tribune. And his persistence. I kept talking about a writing gig, he kept pitching the sales job. One things certain, he really was passionate about the Tribune, hopefully it will carry on in his absence.
Bogdon was a great editor
For a short time I wrote with Tom Bogdon on “The Labor Times.” He was one of the best newsmen ever. He could pull a news story out of the woodwork with small effort. He was devoted to fair labor coverage. His knowledge of the Kansas City area and labor community was extensive. He had a passion for some progressive issues, one of which was light rail for Kansas City. His newswriting was balanced and his commentaries were insightful. The Kansas City community will miss him.