Tim
Landis, longtime reporter for the State
Journal-Register, has died.
Landis,
66, was found dead this morning by his wife, according to the Sangamon County
coroner’s office.
“She
woke up this morning and found him unresponsive,” said Jim Allmon, chief deputy
coroner at the coroner’s office. She called EMS, but he was gone.”
The
death is under investigation, but no foul play is suspected, Allmon said. An
autopsy will be conducted, likely today, which is standard procedure when someone
who isn’t under the care of a doctor for a known serious medical condition dies
unexpectedly, he said.
Landis
had worked for the SJ-R since the mid-1990s. Most recently, he was the paper’s
business editor.
“What
a great guy,” said Barry Locher, former SJ-R editor. “What a big loss for
everybody. He was always smiling and doing the best that he could. A helluva
straight-up guy.”
Landis
was known both for his writing and for appearances on local radio, where he
delivered news on business and the local economy. In the newsroom, he was known
for a quiet, welcoming manner.
“Everyone
liked him – everyone in the office liked him,” Locher recalled. “I liked the
way he represented the paper to the public. People liked him. People liked to
be interviewed by Tim Landis. He was a great ambassador, not only for the
newspaper, but for the community in general. I just thought the world of him.
Like everyone else.”
Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Dec 28, 2017 – Jan 3, 2018.
