Vice president of newspaper operations for Block Communications Inc.
TOLEDO, Ohio — Kurt G. Franck was a tenacious newsman, a sound-minded businessman, a tough-but-fair leader with a gentlemanly demeanor and a principled advocatefor journalism.
Mr. Franck, vice president of newspaper operations for Block Communications Inc., the company that owns the Pittsburgh PostGazette and its sister newspaper, The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, died Friday at Hospice off Northwest Ohio in Perrysburg, Ohio, following a two-year battle with an aggressive form of kidney cancer. He was 67.
His wife, Lynn Franck, said the cancer originated in her husband’s kidneys, then spread to other parts of his body, including his brain.
Mr. Franck became part of The Blade’s senior management team when he was brought in as managing editor in September 2000. In December 2009, he was promoted to executive editor of the news operations. Later, he was given added responsibilities of running The Blade’s business operations when he was promoted to general manager.
He ultimately was given the title of president/general manager. In 2018, he became vice president of newspaper operations for Block Communications Inc.
Allan Block, Block Communications chairman, president, and chief executive officer, admits it was a risky move on his part when he decided to have Mr. Franck oversee both the news and business operations of The Blade several years ago. Mr. Block said he wasn’t sure if someone who grew up as a newsman had the business acumen it would take to do both jobs.
Mr. Franck not only proved him wrong, but blew away his expectations, said Mr. Block, who called the decision one of his best.
“He was the most amazing newspaper executive I’ve ever worked with,” he said.
Mr. Block said Mr. Franck took on the unenviable challenge of guiding The Blade through what has been some of the global media industry’s most turbulent times while also playing a key role in its transition into the digital era.
“I can honestly say I’m not sure The Blade would still be in business if it wasn’t for Kurt Franck,” Mr. Block said.
An ancillary, lesser-known benefit of having Mr. Franck in charge of both news and business operations was helping him become “an asset in public relations in the community,”he said.
Mr. Franck reported to Jodi Miehls, BCI president and chief operating officer, on the business side of the newspaper.
She said she shared Allan Block’s initial hesitation in making him general manager, only to be pleasantly surprised by how well he did both jobs.
“He’s a true, well-rounded business executive,” Ms. Miehls said. “Typically, those two skill sets don’t go well together.”
She said Mr. Franck “was just an amazing human being,” adding, “He was compassionate, he was intelligent.”
Mr. Franck was born May 15, 1956, in Newark, Ohio, to Kurt Sr. and Elizabeth Franck.
As a teenager, he attended The Kiski School in Saltsburg, Pa., a private, collegeprep boarding school east of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1888, it is one of America’s oldest boarding schools.
From there, Mr. Franck went to Bethany College in Bethany, W.Va., where he was a competitive swimmer both there and at his prep school, his wife said.
The couple met during Mr. Franck’s 16-year stint at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he held various editing positions. He ultimately was promoted to deputy managing editor/executive news editor there. His future wife was a Sun-Sentinel advertising executive.
Lynn Franck recalled him being a bit shy when they started dating.
“He was charming,” she said. “His mother would have been proud of him.”
Mr. Franck’s mother died when he was in his 20s, she said.
Mr. Franck also spent six years at United Press International in various roles at bureaus in Columbus, Ohio, Atlanta, Birmingham, Ala., and Orlando, Fla.
While working in Orlando for UPI, he covered NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. He also spent time as UPI’s Florida editor and its Miami bureau chief.
A year after coming to The Blade, Mr. Franck was part of the editing team behind coverage of how the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania struck a nerve with Toledoarea residents. The coverage included the first midday extra edition in decades.
He also was one of several key editors who oversaw the Tiger Force series that led to The Blade’s first and only Pulitzer Prize, in 2004.
The 2003 series, called “Buried Secrets, Brutal Truths,” chronicled a littleknown and long-forgotten Army platoon that committed multiple war crimes in 1967 during the Vietnam
War. The government spent years suppressing information about 18 soldiers and the human atrocities they committed over seven months; no charges were ever filed.
Mr. Franck then served as a judge for the Pulitzer Prize in 2007, for the award’s investigative category, and in 2008 for its local news category.
“Our entire community mourns the loss of Kurt Franck — an accomplished, professional journalist in every sense of the word,” said U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, DToledo, said.
“For a quarter century, he carried the heavy load of seeking and reporting truth as the field of journalism became more complex and diversified. As entertainment and false narratives bore down on factual reporting, he maintained a standard of excellence.”
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said Mr. Franck “was one of those genuinely good people that if you’re lucky, you get to meet in your life.”
Mr. Kapszukiewicz was a journalism major at Marquette University in Milwaukee and had contemplated a career in newspapers before entering politics.
“In a strange way, I almost think of myself as a cub reporter and Kurt as my editor,” he said about the many conversations they had. “He was someone who really understood the news.”
In Pittsburgh, the PostGazette’s president and general manager, Tracey DeAngelo, said she had telephone conversations with Mr. Franck almost daily for the past four years and thought of him as a brother.
She said he “worked tirelessly to be the best boss, journalist, husband, father and friend.”
“In every situation, Kurt always wanted to make sure that he gave more than he took,” Ms. DeAngelo said. “He made every day better. He made us all better. I will miss him dearly.”
David Shribman, Post-Gazette executive editor emeritus, said Mr. Franck was “an emblem of the most enduring values of the craft of newspapering.”
“The loss may be felt most intimately in Toledo, but the waves of sadness and loss are reaching across the continent and our profession,” Mr. Shribman said.
Kim Johns, who worked with Mr. Franck the past seven years in The Blade’s executive offices as assistant to the president/general manager, said it was an honor to know him.
“He was a friend to many and his passing is a tremendous loss to The Blade, me, and those that knew him,” she said.
Retired Blade Managing Editor Dave Murray said that what impressed him about Mr. Franck beyond his skills as a newsroom leader was how he “was such a decent man.”
“I learned so much working with him and for him,” Mr. Murray said.
Current Blade Managing Editor Kim Bates said Mr. Franck “was always, always present for all of us in the newsroom.”
“No topic was ever too small or unimportant for discussion,” she said. “Apart from the skills he brought to his work, he remained a kindhearted man in a tough business. He was a good friend to me over the years, and I’ll miss him tremendously.”
Joe Zerbey, Mr. Franck’s predecessor as Blade general manager, said he admired how Mr. Franck continued to workwhile battling cancer.
“His dedication and work ethic helped save The Blade from the graveyard of newspapers,” Mr. Zerbey said. “He was a spiritual guy and he was my friend.”
Blade attorney Fritz Byers echoed the thoughts of many others, calling Mr. Franck “an exceptional journalist, a marvelous person, and, for those who knew him well, a steadfast and comforting friend.”
His wife said Mr. Franck was a loving father to their son, Kurt III, 27, and daughter, Sophia, 26.
He always found time to attend their soccer matches and swim meets, she said.
Outside of work, he enjoyed watching sports and movies. He was fond of college football, especially the Ohio State Buckeyes.
There was a sensitive side to him along with his strong and determined work ethic. Mrs. Franck said the family thought it was therapeutic for her husband to keep working as long as he could.
“He just wanted to do right by his employer, for sure. He was fiercely loyal,” she said. “He wanted to protect us. He put a brave face on. I think workhelped him.”
And, as a swimmer, Mr. Franck “loved the beach, he loved the pool, he loved the sun,” his wife said.
He also loved the dogs the family had over the years. The only one left now, a beagle named Loki, is going around the house looking for him, Mrs. Franck said.
Mr. Franck is a 2019 recipient of the Bethany College Alumni Association’s Achievement Award for contributions to his profession.
In 2022, he was presented with the Norm Cartwright Award for outstanding service to the Press Club of Toledo and to journalism.
In addition to his wife and children, Mr. Franck is survived by sisters Katherine Rohrer and Barbara Franck.
Immediate services will be private. Plans are being made for a public Celebration of Life at a later date, Mrs. Franck said.