Retired PA chief news editor Noel Richley has died, aged 96.
Born in Lancashire, he joined the Bury Times and later was a reporter on the Daily Mirror and Daily Herald in Manchester. After war service in the Royal Navy he rejoined the Daily Herald before moving to PA in London in 1947, when he married Sue Franklin, a former Army PR.
Noel spent five years as defence correspondent before joining the news desk and rising to chief news editor until his retirement in 1975.
An NUJ member for 77 years, he also had a long interest in the work of the Newspaper Press Fund – now the Journalists’ Charity – and was its treasurer until the age of 94. He was awarded an MBE for his services to the fund.
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Robert Warren, Journalists’ Charity chairman, said: ‘Noel was an exceptionally kind and gentle man. While keeping a firm grip on the fund’s finances he was full of compassion and made a lasting contribution to the work of the charity as a member of the council since 1955.”
Noel leaves a widow, a son and two daughters.
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