Adweek’s O’Leary dies at 59

Noreen O’Leary, who has been a journalist at Adweek since 1985, died Saturday at the age of 59 due to cancer.

Michael Burgi and David Gianatasio of Adweek write, “In 1985, she joined Adweek, and over the ensuing decades, she more than earned her reputation as one of the industry’s most respected and recognized agency reporters. Her stories also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times and The New York Times.

“She is survived by her husband, Chris Garland. Funeral services have not yet been set.

“For 30 years, O’Leary set the standard for covering the ad world. Colleagues and sources alike will remember her as a no-nonsense, old-school, hard-as-nails reporter who dug deep into the heart of every story. That said, she had a gentle way about her, and she always strove to be as fair as possible—acutely aware that professional reputations and jobs often hung in the balance. She helped take agency coverage beyond its trade-press infancy and made the companies and personalities of the business come alive.

“Last year, while battling cancer, O’Leary continued to work as much as she could, and was so dedicated to maintaining her coverage that she’d take her laptop with her to chemotherapy treatments so she could still be able to meet her deadlines.”

Read more here.