AP science writer with a light touch, Randolph E. Schmid, dies at 78

Randolph E. Schmid a retired Associated Press scientific journalist who never missed an opportunity to lend a funny touch to his authoritative pieces has died.

Randolph E. Schmid, a retired science journalist for the Associated Press, passed away. He was known for often bringing a sense of humor to his authoritative pieces. Schmid passed away on Sunday at a care facility in Falls Church, Virginia, at the age of 78. His AP colleagues remember him as a talented reporter who could present complex themes simply.

Seth Borenstein, another AP science reporter, stated that “a hallmark of a Schmid narrative is the light touch, brevity, a pun if possible, and above all speed” in a piece he wrote celebrating Schmid’s retirement in 2011. According to Mike Bobal, whose late wife was Schmid’s cousin, Schmid, 78, passed away on Sunday at a nursing home in Falls Church, Virginia.

Workers at the nursing home claimed that he laughed and watched TV the previous evening. His AP coworkers described Schmid, whose friends called him Randy, as a talented reporter who could explain complex topics simply.

randolph e. schmid age

Seth Borenstein, another AP science reporter, described Schmid’s work as having “a hallmark of a Schmid story: lightness, brevity, a play on words when feasible, and above all speed” before he retired in 2011. “A Smithsonian PR official claimed that his rivals used to criticize him for receiving insider information about stories or press briefings. He is devoid of.

Retired scientific writer

Randolph E. Schmid is a retired scientific writer with the Associated Press. Randy was a committed science writer, but he never passed up a chance to weave a pun into a headline or lede. “He was a typical AP newsman from start to finish,” said Sandy K. Johnson, the AP bureau chief in Washington from 1998 to 2008. Schmid’s gentle touch was highlighted in one of his most recent AP reports.

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He began his career with the Associated Press in the Albany office in 1968 and was a correspondent in Memphis from 1969 to 1973, where he had to debunk reports that Elvis Presley had died.

Randolph E. Schmid, who died in 2004, enjoyed traveling with his wife, Marcia. According to Bobal, Schmid “was never quite the same after that,” but he remained close to Bobal’s family and an avid reader.

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