Rolfe Neill Obituary – Death: Former Observer Publisher and Force at the Paper and in Charlotte, Rolfe Neill Passes Away
Rolfe Neill Obituary News: Rolfe Neill wrote in his final column as publisher of The Charlotte Observer in December 1997 that he had missed less than a week of work due to illness in his previous 40-plus years. He credited “the elixir of job joy” and good Iredell County genes for his good health.
Neill, one of contemporary Charlotte’s most enduring figures, passed away on Friday at the age of 90, a family member said. Neill served as publisher of the Observer from 1975 until his retirement in 1997.
His career took place during the Observer’s golden age, when the publication earned three Pulitzer Prizes. Neill made an enormous mark on greater Charlotte over the course of three decades, just as he did on the massive newspaper buildings at Tryon and Stonewall that are now vacant.
Additionally, Neill developed fruitful personal and professional ties with influential economic and political figures across North Carolina who might be criticized in the editorial sections of the newspaper the following day.
“He was a power in the community as well as as the newspaper publisher, and he had one foot in both. It takes a special talent to keep such positions separate, according to longtime friend and former Duke Power CEO Bill Grigg.
You could argue that Rolfe is one of a select group of civic leaders who, over the course of the past 40 years, contributed more than just about anyone to the development of Charlotte, according to Grigg. You might rank him alongside the McColls, Belks, and Brookshires. He was a positive influence.
Harvey Gantt, a former mayor of Charlotte, claimed that Neill got active in civic activities on numerous fronts because of his aptitude for reporting and dedication to making Charlotte a better place.
Every publisher must set their own course, and Rolfe did so by being involved in the community, according to Gantt. He was a patient listener at all times. Anything superficial was not acceptable to him.
Rolfe always asked the crucial questions that others might not have thought to ask, acting with the civic instincts of a great citizen.
What did Rolfe Neill think was something you always wanted to know.