A month shy of her 60th birthday, Bay Area News Group editor Leanne McLaughlin died unexpectedly of a heart attack early Wednesday after going home from work.

She joined The Oakland Tribune in October 1989 and worked in a variety of editorial positions before being named managing editor in 1999. McLaughlin most recently had worked as an editor on the Hills chain of newspapers, which is part of BANG-EB.

Her obit includes these comments:

“Leanne was a seasoned pro who weathered many regime changes while always staying focused on getting out the next day’s paper,” said Palo Alto Daily News editor Mario Dianda. “She had a knack for getting along with all the multiple personalities found only in a newsroom.”

“She was a really good editor and a really good friend, kind of irreplaceable,” said Alameda Journal Editor Connie Rux. “She could handle the cranky callers and the Internet writers who thought they were writing the great american novel. She could take those stories and whip them into something readable.”

No word yet on memorial services. (Photo credit: Nick Lammers, Oakland Tribune file photo)