By: Joe Strupp The Society of Professional Obituary Writers (SPOW) announced the winners of its inaugural awards on Saturday during the organziation's convention in Charlotte, N.C.
Ron Csillag, a freelance writer from Toronto, Ontario, who writes obits for The Globe and Mail, took home two of the five juried awards. He won the awards for Best Body of Work based on five obits published during 2008, and Best Obituary for an "Average Joe" for his obit of poet Eric Layman.
Holly Crenshaw, who is taking a buyout this week from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, earned top honors in the Best Obituary for a "Well-Known Figure" with her tribute to pianist/homemaker Dorothy Myers.
Dick Russ of WKYC-TV in Cleveland, Ohio, won Best Obituary honors for Broadcast Media with his obit for Cleveland Indians pitcher and announcer Herb Score.
The Best Online Obituary went to Kevin Nance for an obituary titled "Don't Tell Chuck" -- about Charlton Heston -- which was published in Obit Magazine.
Gerry Hostetler, a retired Charlotte Observer obituary columnist, was bestowed SPOW's Lifetime Achievement Award.
Gayle Ronan Sims, the Philadelphia Inquirer obituary writer who died April 16, was remembered with the first Gayle Ronan Sims Award for Excellence, Professionalism and Spirit.
The 2010 SPOW Convention will be held in Philadelphia.
The group also announced winners from the People's Picks online poll in which readers chose favorites from five finalists in each category.
Those winners are:
* Body of Work: Tom Hawthorn, The Globe and Mail.
* Well-Known Figure: Sandra Martin, The Globe and Mail, for obit of Richard Monette.
* Average Joe: Gayle Ronan Sims, The Philadelphia Inquirer, for an obit of F. Culver, 100.
* Online: Judy Bachrach, Obit Magazine, for Yves St. Laurent.
* Broadcast: Dick Russ, WKYC-TV, for Herb Score.
More information is at the group's Web site,
here.
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