Musgrove, former tech journalist for Washington Post, dies at 45

Mike Musgrove, a former tech reporter and columnist for the Washington Post for more than a decade, died on Monday at the age of 45.

Musgrove wrote the .game column for the paper. He also contributed to the Web Watch column. He also wrote about video games and digital life in a column called At Play, started in 2005 and featured in the Post’s Business section.

He left the paper in 2010.

“Mike had a great passion for new technology, especially gaming platforms,” said Andy Sullivan, a Reuters reporter and friend of Musgrove. “While many people belittled video games, Mike saw them as a central aspect of modern culture, like pop music or movies. His .game column for the Washington Post showcased his dry wit and elegant writing.”

In recent years, Musgrove has done freelance writing and consulting with local businesses and nonprofits seeking to improve their Web presence. Sullivan said that Musgrove left the Post to be a stay-at-home dad but was getting back into writing.

“And he wasn’t a typical hard driving Washington scoop robot reporter — he was a laidback guy with a real offbeat sense of humor and cared little for the Beltway power scene,” said Sullivan.

Musgrove graduated from from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. After college, he began working for the Post, starting in the mailroom. In the newsroom, he started as a copy aide but wound up writing several front page stories.

“Mike was one of the funniest people I ever worked with, but you had to get to know him to see that because he was so quiet and gentle seeming,” said Gregory Schneider, former business editor of the Post.  “He was a beautiful writer and a sharp observer of people and their foibles.”