The Washington Post’s longtime editorial page editor dies at 66

By Oliver Darcy, CNN Business

Fred Hiatt, The Washington Post’s longtime editorial page editor, died on Monday morning. He was 66 years old.

The Post’s newsroom was informed of Hiatt’s death on Monday afternoon by publisher Fred Ryan. The Post said in its obituary that Hiatt had cardiac arrest on November 24 while visiting his daughter in New York and never regained consciousness. The Post added that he had in the past been treated for heart issues.

“We will miss Fred’s intellect and enthusiasm, his extraordinary leadership, and his unparalleled decency,” Ryan wrote in a memo.

Ryan described Hiatt as a forty-year veteran of the newspaper who “built friendships throughout the company and made immense contributions as a writer, an editor, and a mentor across the organization.’

“His legacy also spans the globe: Few journalists have rivaled his idealism and complete dedication to the causes of democracy and human rights worldwide,” Ryan wrote.

Some employees at the Post took to Twitter to grieve Hiatt’s passing.

“I have had a few truly wonderful bosses in my life,” columnist Megan McArdle tweeted. “Even among that select group, Fred Hiatt stood out. My shock and sadness are only tempered by the fact that I still can’t actually believe he’s gone.

Hiatt leaves behind a wife, three children, and a granddaughter, Ryan said.

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