May 18, 2013
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) -- Bob Swift, a longtime Miami Herald
columnist, has died. He was 81.
Swift was born in Southern Pines, N.C., and grew up in Florida. He attended Florida State University and served as a staff sergeant
in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.
Swift began his journalism career at the Winter Haven News,
before going on to work at the Lakeland Ledger, where he met his
wife. He also worked as an editor of the Miami Beach Sun, where he
oversaw a staff of bright talent, including Edna Buchanan, who went
on to win a Pulitzer Prize for The Miami Herald.
At the Herald, Swift's columns were frequently autobiographical,
while also tackling serious cultural issues. He won two Florida
Press Club awards for General Excellence in Commentary.
Swift died Thursday at his home.
