Memorial services for those who lived well always are
bittersweet. There is sadness at the passing of a friend,
mentor, role model, and more. But there are stories and
remembrances which generate joy and laughter. So it was
yesterday at the funeral mass for long-time Washington
Times editor Mary Lou Forbes.
Mary Lou was little known to the public, but was a giant in
conservative and journalistic circles. One exceptional
experience in a life full of exceptional experiences was her
friendship with Carl Bernstein--begun when he started at the
Washington Star, well before his Watergate fame.
Their friendship carried forth for a half century. The
Washington Times covered the service:
Family, friends and journalists gathered Wednesday to pay their
final respects to Mary Lou Forbes, longtime commentary editor
at The Washington Times, who died Saturday after a brief battle
with cancer.
Mrs. Forbes, 83, got her start at The Washington Star as a
17-year-old copy girl and worked for more than six decades as a
reporter, news chief and opinion editor. She guided hundreds of
journalists - including future Watergate reporter Carl
Bernstein and nationally syndicated columnist Cal Thomas. Her
reporting on the Virginia civil rights struggle won her a
Pulitzer Prize in 1959 and helped open doors for aspiring
female journalists.
Mr. Bernstein, who worked as a copy boy and dictationist at The
Star, said his first impression of Mrs. Forbes was the
"glamorous woman at the other end of the desk.
"She was one of the boys, and yet she never forgot also that
she was a woman," Mr. Bernstein said. "And I don't know if she
was aware or not of this 'trailblazing' role that she had, but
nobody could have done it better than she did."
Looking around the church I saw many people I first met two
decades or more ago in politics and journalism. We all
seem to have added a few pounds and lost a little hair.
Many of us have changed jobs and fallen out of touch. But
friendship with and admiration of Mary Lou drew us back together
to celebrate her life.