ONLINE UPDATE-May 23

The owner/publisher of this newspaper, David Davenport, passed away early Sunday after a battle with cancer.

Dave was an integral part of the publication of the Times Journal for many years, first coming to the paper from Greensburg to help run the new press in the 1960s under the late owner and Times Journal founder Andrew Norfleet.

He then went on to become managing editor and later was an owner and publisher of the newspaper until his death.

After a short hiatus from the newspaper business in the 1990s, Dave again became involved in the Times Journal when he and Burkesville business partner Patsy Judd bought the paper back in the early 2000s.

Regardless of his position with the paper, and even the time when he was not owner, Dave’s popular column, “From My Window … by I.C. Toowell,” never left the paper’s editorial page.

The column helped people to laugh with its jokes and funny stories, stirred debate and discussion on local, state and national issues, took you inside his personal life, usually with a laugh included, and ultimately became the most popular portion of the newspaper.

Throughout his time with the Times Journal, Russell County News and the Russell County News-Register he also founded Lake Cumberland Real Estate where he was broker and also started the popular website, www.lakecumberland.com, with his late friend, Jerry Gibson, along with maintaining the newspaper’s website at www.russellcounty.net.

He was a past chamber of commerce president and was instrumental in helping form the local tourism commission, was a former Russell County coroner in the 1970s and was a current and longtime member of the Duo County Telephone Board of Directors, among other community endeavors.

Being involved in so many things allowed Dave to touch the lives of thousands of people, both inside Russell County and out.

“Dave’s impact on Russell County was tremendous,” said Derek Aaron, the newspaper’s current editor. “His many years of dedicated service in bringing the people of Russell County local news and advertising were second to none. He was a tremendous public servant and never met a stranger as anyone who ever met Dave can attest to. His honesty and integrity shone through in his many years of reporting and later as publisher of this newspaper. The support he received in the community from his many loyal readers is a testament to that fact.

“Personally, I have the utmost of respect for Dave. As a mentor in the newspaper business he taught me many things on how to cover Russell County from a reporting standpoint as he had done for so many years. He gave me a chance and an opportunity to serve in my hometown and for that I will be forever grateful. Not only was he a great boss, I considered him a great friend who was always there for me anytime I needed him, just as he was for the many people that also called him friend. My thoughts and prayers and the thoughts and prayers of the entire Times Journal staff are with his entire family during this difficult time.”