Bill Wasson: Beat Reporter

In many ways, Bill Wasson was a walking caricature. He was gruff and cynical and big-hearted. He was a sloppy dresser but as fussy as a schoolmarm when it came to tight writing and accurate reporting. Wasson's dry, piercing wit masked his compassion for the underdog. He was a born storyteller and an old-fashioned reporter in the very best sense -- someone who pursued facts, worked his beat, cultivated sources, and wrote straight. Good luck finding any clichés in the thousands of stories he wrote during nearly 40 years as a reporter for The News Leader and The Times-Dispatch.

Wasson covered cops and courts, city hall, county government, and just about anything else that touched readers in Central Virginia. He had thousands of fans, including many who never knew his name, but were smarter -- and, we dare say, wiser -- thanks to his stories. His friends are glad he was able to spend his last years puttering around Goochland County in a broken-down pickup truck. He died this week at 68 after fighting cancer for many years, with his usual mix of wisecracks and rumpled integrity.