Copy Desk

Dacia D. Dunson, a copy editor for The Sun who wrote of fighting her cancer over the past two years, died of the disease Friday at her Federal Hill home. She was 33. Born and raised in Anniston, Ala., she earned a bachelor's degree in mass communications from Auburn University in 1996. She became a speech teacher in Dallas public schools before joining the editing staff of Newsday in Long Island, N.Y., in 2000. She moved to Baltimore a year later when she joined the news copy desk of The Sun. "Everyone who knew Dacia loved her," said Jennifer Badie, features copy desk chief at The Sun. "She had friends throughout the newsroom - reporters, photographers, editors all gravitated to her. She was a thoughtful, caring friend who was always easy to talk to and always smiling.

Paul Rhodes Mattix III, night news editor of The Sun whose career in newspapers spanned nearly three decades, died Monday from complications of lymphoma at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Wyman Park resident was 53. Mr. Mattix was born and raised in Bethesda and graduated in 1969 from Walter Johnson High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Maryland in 1973. He returned to College Park to earn a second bachelor's degree, this one in journalism, in 1976. In 1977, he began his career in layout and copy editing at the Charleston Evening Post in Charleston, S.C. He took a similar position the next year at The Capital in Annapolis.

Hervey Brackbill(1901-1999)Hervey Brackbill was telegrapher, reporter, copy editor, birdwatcher, music critic, bird essayist, slot man, bird bander, features editor, birder. He died March 6. Two more years, and he would also have been a centenarian.Sighting that name as an Evening Sun editorial page byline, many Baltimoreans took it for a nom de birdplume. But no: Swiss forebears spelt it Brechbuehl.Brack was a printer's son. Leaving Lancaster, Pa., after high school, Brack worked for Western Union -- telegrams were yesterday's e-mail, sort of -- and then, in Baltimore, for the Associated Press.

Paul D. White, a retired Evening Sun editor, died of apparent heart failure Monday at his Kingsville farm. He was 76.He joined the Evening Sun as a copy editor in 1953 and held various editing positions, including telegraph editor, until he retired in 1986."