Desmond Mallon:Desmond Mallon, who died recently aged 82, was a newspaperman, an entrepreneur and a mentor to countless friends and neighbours during a long career in his family publishing firm.
When he took over Observer Newspapers from his father, who started the business, there were just two weekly papers, the Dungannon and Armagh Observers. When he died shortly after Christmas, nine weekly titles and two monthly freesheets were being published, and the family - almost alone in the provincial newspaper sector - remained firmly in control. He had the reputation of being lucky, although when you work 70 hours a week as he did, you aren't leaving much to chance.
Des Mallon left school at 15 to work alongside his father. Almost three-quarters of a century later, he was still in harness, working until little over a week before his death. Being managing director did not mean sitting in an office. If a newsagent phoned to complain his delivery was late, or the papers arrived wet, Des got stuck in - the same way he did when negotiating with Canadian paper companies for next year's supplies.
He knew his business inside out and made sure that the Observer group was at the forefront of the technical developments in printing and publishing, which caused his competitors so much angst in adopting.
His brothers Oliver and Paud worked with him in building this success, but they died early.
The third eldest son of Patrick and Roseanne Mallon, he met his wife Mary (McDonnell), from Loughgall, Co Armagh, when she asked him to publish articles she had written on local history. He divided his life between publishing, farming and their family of three daughters and one son.
Dungannon was the very centre of his life, his birthplace and his home. He loved the town and its people dearly, steering the newspapers through 30 years of the Troubles, insisting on balance and emphasising the common humanity of all.
A big man physically and a modest one, he nonetheless enjoyed being a farmer, having bought land from the Castle Leslie estate at Glaslough, Co Monaghan.
He relished the camaraderie of the mart and the auction room.
Though he was brought up living over the family public house, he did not drink alcohol. He was on visiting terms with his fellow provincial newspaper owners, "Smokey Joe" Walsh in Waterford, the Crosbies in Cork, and others.
At his funeral, many people came forward to say they had sought his counsel when in difficulties, but he insisted they kept his help confidential.
His Catholic religion was important. He told his children to live by the injunction which says if you cannot do a man a good turn, you must not do him a bad one.
On his own and with his good friend auctioneer Fintan Gunne, he discreetly helped many to weather difficult patches in their business and personal lives. He believed in treating employees well. He gained his education at work and he saw to it that his children studied law, useful in business as well as for its own sake, he believed.
He was managing director of Observer Newspapers (NI) Ltd until the day he died. His son Desmond now takes over.
Des Mallon is survived by his wife Mary, his children Róisín Donnelly, Bríd Devlin, Desmond jnr, and Eithne Herron, and his siblings Austin Mallon and Róisín McPartland. Róisín Donnelly and Eithne Herron also joined the family firm, as did their cousin Seán Mallon.
Desmond Mallon: born February 2nd, 1924, Co Tyrone; died December 29th, 2006