Former News publisher passes away at 93
By Collin Gallant on September 15, 2018.
Medicine Hat News George Willcocks, the former publisher of the Medicine Hat News who fell in love with the city and wound up penning the Medicine Hat Stampede’s official history book, has died. It came just two months after his wife, Barbara, passed away in July. The pair would have celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary on Sunday, Sept. 9. Willcocks died the following day. He was 93. Paul Willcocks told the News that his father was in generally good health, but at his age, minor health problems compounded. “At 93 it’s harder and harder to bounce back,” said Paul, a journalist himself. “He was a good newspaper man.” “He grew up in Toronto and worked for the Montreal Gazette and then Calgary Herald before the News, but he developed a real love for Medicine Hat. They really found a special connection with the community, the rodeos and Stampede.” The elder Willcock’s 42-year career culminated when he was transferred by Southam Newspapers to become publisher of the News in 1986. He retired in 1990 and launched an active volunteer career with the Medicine Hat Stampede. He poured through some 30,000 back issues of the News for research to write the organization’s official history book. “He had the patience to do it,” said retired News business manager Ron Turner, recalling Willcocks presenting reams of statistical analysis at meetings that was meticulously written out by hand. “He was a real pen-and-ink, old-school sort of guy.” The book was born when Willcocks was asked by the Stampede’s bylaw committee to supply a four-paragraph historical overview to print on the back page of a directors handbook. The eventual result was 130-page book that was published in 1996 to commemorate the golden anniversary of the Stampede’s move to the current current location. Current News publisher Mike Hertz said Willcocks was gracious, and still interested in the media industry years after retirement. “He was a real gentleman who came an introduced himself when I arrived here,” said Hertz. “He was always doing research and coming in to the office, and loved to chat about what was happening in the industry.” In the late 1990s Willcocks quipped to a News columnist that he’d been too busy working to miss working life, but said his secret was being happy while being busy. “I think for many people, the fun has gone out of going to work,” he said. “I always told my children that I enjoyed my work and most days I could always whistle on my way to work… if you can’t whistle on your way to work, then find another job.” Jim Tennant, who worked with Willcocks at the News and then later as publicity director with the Stampede, called him a “terrific guy and a great boss” who produced an important historical document for the local Stampede organization “When he first moved here he didn’t sell his house in Calgary — which we’d tease him about,” said Tennant. he’d tell us he was moving back,” said Tennant. “But they fell in love with Medicine Hat and never left.” A service is planned for Sept. 28 in Medicine Hat. 21-20
