The Acadiana community lost a treasure Sunday night, when retired Daily Advertiser editor Vince Marino died at the age of 91.
"He loved to teach and was happiest mentoring young journalists," says Vince's son Jonathan. "And he just loved editing." Before he became an editor at the local paper, retiring as editor emeritus after 50 years, Marino was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting.
Any student who took Vince's journalism and English classes in his two decades at UL always left wanting more; I personally just couldn't get enough of his dry wit. Vince was nearing retirement from the university as I was graduating, and when I learned he'd agreed to teach a PR writing class, I scheduled it (my major was journalism). And in recent years, he'd be sure to drop me e-mails to explain that the proper word in one of our stories was "shoo-in" and not "shoe-in." There were others. He never missed a thing.
A memorial service, which will include a video of his life Jonathan has pulled together, will be held Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at Martin & Castille Funeral Home.
Former Advertiser writer James Savage may have said it best in a story published today. Recalling the respect Marino commanded in the business, Savage said: "Before I went to work at The Advertiser, I'd heard stories about Vince at UL's journalism school. When I realized I would have to work with him, I kept watching the door for him to appear. When he did, it was like pulling back the curtain on the Great and Powerful Oz."
Indeed it was.