Monday, October 22nd, 2018
Former editor broke gender barriers
Pat Royse dies of complications from Alzheimer's disease
By William Kincaid
Submitted Photo
Patricia Ann Royse worked at numerous newspapers, breaking down gender barriers as a pioneering female reporter, before coming to The Daily Standard in 1997.
Veteran journalist Patricia Ann Royse, 79, who helmed The Daily Standard as managing editor for ten years, died Oct. 11, 2018, of complications from Alzheimer's disease, according to an obituary submitted by her son, David Vienna.
Royse earned a bachelor's degree in English and political science from Miami University, Oxford, before embarking on a decades-long career in journalism.
"A lifelong journalist, Patricia broke down gender barriers as a pioneering female reporter covering hard news in an era when most newswomen were unfairly relegated to writing fashion or society stories," her obituary reads.
Royse was a staff writer for The Cleveland Press, where she earned several awards, among them a 1967 Ohio Woman's Press Association award for coverage of the Hough area race riots.
During a two-and-a-half year stint as editor and co-publisher of Morro Bay Bulletin in Morro Bay, California, the broadsheet weekly newspaper's circulation more than doubled.
Moving on to Gazette Publishing Inc. in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Royse was a managing editor of The Rockville Gazette, a 44,000 circulation weekly newspaper. She also served as a state and legislative reporter for the 12-paper Gazette newspaper chain until 1995.
She also pursued free-lance reporting and part-time editing for The Washington Post in Washington, D.C., and The Kentucky Enquirer.
In late 1997, Royse landed a reporting job with The Daily Standard. She ascended to managing editor on June 5, 2000, a position she held until she left on March 31, 2010.
When not covering local news and events, Patricia loved to visit with her family and voraciously read mystery novels.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Bessie Royse; and her sister, Charlotte.
Patricia is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth; her son, David; her grandsons, Wyatt and Boone; and her three siblings, Sue Holcomb, Jerry Royse and Mike Royse.
Her family and friends will celebrate her life with a memorial event 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Nov. 10, at the Murray-Fettro Funeral Home in Greenfield, Ohio. Her cremains will be buried with her parents in the Greenfield Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the International Center for Journalism at icfj.org or simply share a story with someone.
