News-Record.com

Meredith Barkley, who's been with the News & Record since 1981, is retiring Dec. 20. He is not going to have much time on his hands, though. He's planning to work with the poor in Haiti, continuing his lifelong commitment to helping those less fortunate.

We're sad that he has chosen to retire early because he has contributed so much to the paper and to us personally. But we're glad that he's truly pursuing a passion.

Meredith's first job here was as a reporter in the Randolph Bureau. Three months later, editor Walter Rugaber sent him this note: "I thought your piece in the April 26 Leader on the Moore County fiscal situation was intelligent and informative. This is the kind of story we can do well and the competition can't."

He hasn't looked back. Notes like that from every editor since fill his personnel file, which is thicker than a Sunday newspaper. In addition to Randolph, he's worked on the copy desk and reporting on Rockingham, nightside, cops, courts, business, real estate, community news, among others.

He's had a piece of many of the big stories in the past 20 years, including the Klan-Nazi trials; the Nan Schiffman murder; many, many weather crises; Blanche Taylor Moore; child abuse; Asian gangs; Burlington Industries; K-Mart/GGO protesters; the Episcopal Housing ministry; and just about every big business story for the past 10 years.

His journalism is first-rate. But we value Meredith for his professionalism, his easygoing ways, his wonderful attitude, his quick laugh and his friendship. Most of all his friendship.

In 1983, then-city editor Susan Fulton said in his annual evaluation, "It has been a pleasure working with Meredith Barkley."

Indeed, it has.