Bruce Phillip Sayre

Bruce Phillip "Phil" Sayre, 61, of Owensboro, died Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at Owensboro Medical Health System. Phil was born in Lexington, Kentucky to Bruce A. Sayre and the late Betty Ruth Sayre. He was a 1967 graduate of Owensboro High School, graduated in 1971 from DePauw University with a B.A. in History and German, Graduated from Boston University with a Masters in 1972 in History, and in 1982 graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Masters in International Relations. He was a member of the National Honor Society in high school, Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity in college, and was a member of Settle Memorial United Methodist Church. He worked for The Messenger-Inquirer, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Trenton New Jersey Times, Bergan New Jersey Record, and the New York Times from 1989 to 2010 as National Copy Desk Editor. Phil was the top editor to make it into New York City on 9/11, deciding the coverage for 9/11 for the New York Times, for which he and the staff won the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism. He also served as lead editor for the Presidential election coverage in 2008. He was skilled in photography and an avid reader and researcher.
Surviving is his father, Bruce A. Sayre of Owensboro, a brother, Rev. Wayne (Betty) Sayre of Frankfort, Ky., and a sister, Elaine (Patrick) Doolittle of Owensboro.
Memorial services will be held at a later date. The family has requested that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to either the American Diabetes Association or to the Building Fund of First United Methodist Church, 211 Washington Street, Frankfort, Ky., 40601. Online condolences may be expressed at www.glennfuneralhome.com. Glenn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.