12/28/2015

Janet K. Hubbard, publisher of the Bellefontaine Examiner, passes away at age 93

From The Bellefontaine Examiner

Janet K. Hubbard, 93, of Bellefontaine, died at 10:10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015, at her home. She was born April 19, 1922, to the late John and Lois Johnson Milligan in New Richland.

Mrs. Hubbard, who had served as publisher of the Bellefontaine Examiner since 2001, was preceded in death by her husband, T.E. (Tom) Hubbard and a brother, Wendell Milligan.

She is survived by a son Jon (Cathie) Hubbard of Bellefontaine; stepdaughters, Susan MacBoyle of Phoenix, Ariz., and Bonnie Williams of Safety Harbor, Fla.; grandsons, T.J. (Melissa) Hubbard and Bill (Lesli) Harris, both of Bellefontaine; and great-grandchildren, Parker Hubbard, Zachary Schneider, Elianna Showers and Liam and Bryce Harris.

She graduated from Belle Center High School in 1940. She worked at Merchants Industries before beginning a decades-long newspaper career. She worked at Troy Daily News and the Niles Standard before coming to the Examiner in 1944 where she took over the sports writing duties of future husband Tom, who was drafted and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Janet and Tom were married June 19, 1953, in Indiana.

One of the first female sports writers in Ohio, Janet learned to cover baseball and record stats from former Washington Local Schools coach Walter Alston, who later coached the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. She was elected in 1972 into membership in the Theta Sigma Phi, a national professional society for women in journalism and communications. 

She was a member of the First United Presbyterian Church and the King’s Daughters. She was a supporter of the Humane Society Serving Logan County and served as a secretary for the local Red Cross. 

Janet was proud of her profession and summed up her feelings in 2006 when the Ohio Newspaper Association presented the Hubbard family with the First Families of Ohio Newspapers award, saying “I love newspaper people.”

Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home, Bellefontaine, is handling arrangements. Services will be announced at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Universal Home Health & Hospice Care, 701 S. Main St., Bellefontaine OH 43311.