James Edward “Bud” O’Brien, former editor of the Watsonville Register-Pajaronian who trained many reporters including Chronicle editor Ward Bushee, has died after a long illness. He was 80. He was at the Watsonville paper from 1962 until he retired in 1995. This is from the Chron obit:

As he took his pen to the copy of young reporters, Mr. O’Brien was not an intimidator, said longtime colleague and friend Mike Wallace, also a former editor of the Watsonville newspaper.

“He had a presence of quiet authority,” said Wallace. “There was no point in arguing with him because you knew he was right.”

Mr. O’Brien taught his young scribes the basics of journalism – go out, get the story, bring it back and do your job, said Dan Young, one of those former reporters.

“Just tell the story and get it done,” Young said.

(Photo credit: Mike Wallace, via Chronicle)