Former newsman Dale Bain remembered

Dale Janney Bain, 88, former assistant manager editor for the Deseret News, died January 19, 2012 of natural causes.     

Mr. Bain was hired by the Deseret News on Aug. 28, 1948 to work on the state desk, while attending the University of Utah. His career at the newspaper spanned 40 years.   

He worked for four years in sports as a makeup editor, ski columnist and prep writer. He was the copy editor for about six years, wire editor for 11 years and worked as the news editor following that, from 1972-87. Bain received a Distinguished Service Awards from the Deseret News following his retirement in 1988.

He covered everything from major skiing competition and high school sports rivalry to wars, earthquakes, dam disasters, murders, robberies,  space exploration, assassinations, Watergate, the Cold War, the arms race and a multitude of other big stories were a part of his four decade news career.

Bain was born July 9, 1923 and went on to become editor of the West High School newspaper, the Red and Black. After graduating from high school in 1942, he got a job as copy boy for the Salt Lake Tribune.     

He joined the Army in World War II. From January 1943 until January 1946 he was assigned to a searchlight battalion in an anti-aircraft artillery unit that served in New Guinea and, near war’s end, in the Philippines. Even in the Army, he managed to get involved in newspapers and helped write for and edit his battalion newspaper.     

After he returned home, Bain enrolled at the University of Utah, majored in journalism, graduated with honors and was editor of the university’s newspaper, the Chronicle, in 1948 and 1949.

He met his wife, Margaret, at the Deseret News. She had graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1950 and had come directly to the News as a reporter and, later, a society writer. They were married in the summer of 1952. The Bains have three children, two of whom have pursued careers in communications.     

A bicycle enthusiast, he rode his bicycle to work for nearly a decade. He was an accomplished bagpipe player and performed with the Utah Pipe Band for several years, beginning in 1948, and formed the Salt Lake Scots in 1964, serving as the band’s pipe major for six years. He enjoyed gardening, collecting books, hiking, cross county skiing, tennis and tropical fish.     

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Wasatch Lawn Memorial. A graveside service will be held at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 3401 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City.