KEY POINTS:
Hedley Mortlock, a former editor of NZ Truth and a respected sports journalist, has died after a battle with cancer.
Mortlock, 66, died in Auckland yesterday surrounded by his family.
He was editor of Truth from 1987 to 1997. For two years of that time he was also editor of TV Guide.
He was previously sports editor of Truth for 19 years.
He went overseas in the early 1960s and worked on several British newspapers.
David Jones, a filing editor with NZPA in Wellington, worked with Mortlock on the South London Advertiser in Brixton before Mortlock moved to another British paper.
"He was highly regarded as a top sports reporter on one of Britain's leading tabloid dailies," Jones said.
He and his partner Briody O'Neill moved to Northland for four and a half years before they returned to Auckland where Mortlock latterly worked for the Department of Courts.
He was founding president of the New Zealand Sport Journalists Association and media liaison officer at Mt Smart Stadium for the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
He is survived by his partner Briody O'Neill, son Simon, and brothers and sisters, Roger, Peter, Bill, Kathy and Lizzie.
His funeral is on Friday.
- NZPA
