By: E&P Staff Frederick Douglass Sengstacke, who devoted more than six decades to his family's Chicago Defender and its related businesses, died July 1 at age 90 in his home in Chicago.
At the time of his death, reported Wednesday in the Chicago Tribune by Trevor Jensen, Sengstacke was treasurer of Chicago Defender Charities.
Sengstacke joined the African-American newspaper founded by his uncle, Robert Sengstacke Abbott, after serving in the Army in World War II. Among his positions at the paper were business manager, production manager and publisher.
He was also president and vice chairman of Sengstacke Enterprises.
Frederick Douglass Sengstacke was credited with running the Defender business day-to-day while his brother John Sengstacke, who died in 1997, was the public face of the newspaper.
"In order for my uncle to have a foot in all of these external [activities], he needed someone to keep the business running; that was my father," Marc Sengstacke told the Tribune.
Sengstacke's wife, Helena, died in 2002. The Tribune said other survivors include another son, Dr. Frederick Sengstacke II; a daughter, Helena Fredericka Sengstacke Haley; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here