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Obituaries published in the March 2022 edition of the Texas Press Messenger

FRANK H. McKNIGHT
DALLAS – Frank H. McKnight, who shepherded The Dallas Morning News’ circulation operations for more than 30 years — including through its rivalry against the Dallas Times Herald — died Jan. 27. He was 88.
An article celebrating his retirement from The News in January 1994 credited him with helping sell more than 3.2 billion papers. Among the roles he held at The News were manager, director, vice president and senior vice president of circulation.
The newspaper industry in Dallas during the 1970s and ’80s was full of challenges, with two major dailies wrestling for dominance. The Dallas Times Herald, a 112-year-old daily, sold most of its assets to The News for $55 million and shuttered in 1991.
McKnight got his start in the newspaper industry in the 1940s by delivering newspapers for the Times Herald and The News as a high school student in Dallas. After high school graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in November 1951 and served as a gunner’s mate during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in November 1959.
When he left the Navy, he rejoined The News, working as a printer’s apprentice in the advertising department, and later as a contractor. In the late ’60s, he was recruited to the circulation department.
McKnight was a 32nd-degree Mason. Memorial donations may be made to the Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital.
He was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Edna. Survivors include a son and daughter, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
A memorial service was held Feb. 19 at Laurel Land Funeral Home in Dallas.

RICK SMITH
SAN ANGELO – Rick Smith, a longtime Standard-Times staff writer and popular columnist, died Feb. 6. He was 67.
Smith’s columns were a fixture on the front page of the Standard-Times for years, and he won numerous awards throughout his career.
When he wasn’t finding stories in San Angelo, he traveled around the state looking for adventures he could share with his readers.
“Rick was the best writer the Standard-Times ever had, but he also was one of the best people ever to work at the newspaper. I can’t think of a single person who didn’t like him,” former Standard-Times managing editor Jack Cowan said. “Rick could take the most routine event and turn it into a story everyone wanted to read. He was clever, creative and hilarious. A couple of generations of Standard-Times readers are sad right now, and I’m going to find some of his old columns to help me get over it.”
A native of San Angelo, Smith graduated from Angelo State University in 1976.
With the exception of short stints in Austin, Sherman and Amarillo, Smith spent the majority of his 40-year career in San Angelo. He served as a Standard-Times columnist for nearly 25 years, retiring in 2015.
He is survived by his wife, June Ann Hubbell Smith, and two daughters.
Funeral services will be held April 23 in San Angelo at the International Waterlily Collection in Civic League Park. More details will be announced.

CLYDELL M. SEATON
CAMERON – Clydell M. Seaton, who worked 51 years for her hometown newspaper, died Feb. 11. She was 81.
A native of Cameron, her family moved to the Houston area, where she graduated high school and earned a degree in business college. She returned to Milam County with her own family in 1969 and went to work for The Cameron Herald even though her sister was working for The Cameron Sun, the Herald’s competitor at the time. 
She worked in the accounting and circulation departments for many years and was known to generations of Cameron Yoe High School students who worked part time after school inserting and labeling papers under her direction each week.
She later became business manager for the the newspaper and at one time did bookkeeping and circulation for three newspapers in the group, including the Herald, the Thorndale Champion and Rosebud News.
During Seaton’s tenure, the newspaper was owned by five groups, most recently Granite publications from 1997 to 2015 and Moser Community Media since 2015. She had worked with numerous group managers and publishers by the time she retired in 2020.
She is survived by three children, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Feb. 18 in Cameron. Burial followed in the Liberty Cemetery near Hanover in Milam County.