ROME, Ga. — When Sandi Duitman remembers her husband, she recalls a man with a community spirit and a heart for the truth.

“He was a good, honest, hard worker who loved his family and his friends,” Sandi said. “He loved newspapers and reporting. That was very important to him.”

Allan R. Duitman, 82, most recently of Rome, Georgia, died April 21.  Allan had a long newspaper career, and in the 1970s, he served as the managing editor of the Edwardsburg Argus and the Cassopolis Vigilant.

Allan was born on Sept. 26, 1936, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and was the son of the late Allan Sr. and Winnefred Duitman. He attended Eastern New Mexico University at Portales New Mexico and Texas Western in El Paso, Texas, where he studied journalism. He left just short of his degree to begin military service, where he served in the U.S. Air Force as an information specialist. Also during his service, he spent several years at Naha Air Base, Okinawa doing aerial photography.

After completing his military service, Allan embarked on a long and celebrated newspaper career. He worked at the Santa Fe New Mexican, Hobbs Daily Sun, El Paso Herald-Post, in addition to several papers in Kansas, Indiana and Michigan. Throughout his journalism career, Allan collected several state and national awards for writing, photography and page design.

“He was very proud of all of his awards,” Sandi said.

Starting in 1968, Allan served as the news editor of the Niles Daily Star before becoming the managing editor of the Cassopolis Vigilant and Edwardsburg Argus in early 1973, according to a 1973 Cassopolis Vigilant article. During this time, Allan and Sandi lived in Vandalia.

According to a letter to the editor submitted by Herbert Rosselit, of Niles, in the 1970s, Allan covered topics such as Cassopolis’ historical courthouse and Cass County Medical Care Facility while at the Cassopolis Vigilant.

Of all his jobs, Sandi said that Allan’s post at the Cassopolis Vigilant and the Edwardsburg Argus was one of Allan’s favorites as he and Sandi married in Cassopolis, and the couple had friends and family in the southwest Michigan area.

No matter what paper he was working at, Sandi said Allan was devoted to telling the truth through investigative journalism and providing an unbiased look into the community through his news and sports coverage.

“He kind of stirred the pot, writing stories about the county commission or other things,” she said. “He carried that with him until the end. He would talk about politics or sports with anyone.”

Sandi’s brother, Thomas Tucker, also a close friend of Allan’s, agreed, saying that he knew Allan to be someone who was devoted to journalism and sharing the truth through his reporting.

“When I met him, he was working as the editor at the papers in Edwardsburg and Cassopolis,” Tucker said. “He was very dedicated to that.”

Both Sandi and Tucker said they hope that residents of southwest Michigan remember Allan both as a dedicated journalist and a friendly neighbor and friend.

“He was a good and faithful person who was a friend to everybody,” Sandi said. “He was so precious. We all miss him so much.”