Wichita Biz Journal editor Roy dies at 61

Bill Roy, the Wichita Business Journal’s editor since 2003, died Sunday morning at his home of complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He was 61.

Managing editor Kirk Seminoff writes, “Roy was inducted into the Kansas Press Association Hall of Fame in 2022, a nod to his versatility as a journalist and his leadership for two decades at the WBJ, where he had grown readership, particularly online as news organizations became increasingly digital-minded.

“He also used his talent as a former radio broadcaster to create the ‘BizTalk with Bill Roy’ podcast, which delivered weekly interviews with Wichita business leaders and newsmakers, for the last five years. It was the first podcast of its kind in the 45-market American City Business Journals chain.

“‘Bill was everything I could have hoped for in a partner for 20 years. He did outstanding journalism, he was the best event emcee in Wichita, he made work fun and he did everything with integrity, humor and grace,’ WBJ publisher John Ek said. ‘I knew Bill had something that was special all these years, but never really could put my finger on it until he was diagnosed with ALS.'”

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