St. Louis Biz Journal reporter dies from pancreatic cancer

Rick Desloge, a reporter for the St. Louis Business Journal dating back to the 1980s, died Monday from pancreatic cancer. He was 63.

A story on the paper’s web site states, “Mr. Desloge, who had worked at the St. Louis Business Journal since 1984, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a year ago. He rarely missed a day during his treatment, covering his beats, writing his regular St. Louis Character feature, and doing his twice-daily Business Journal reports on KMOX radio until a month ago.

“What’s more, his office colleagues were amazed at his consistent good cheer. It seems odd to say that someone fighting such a serious illness was chipper, but chipper he often was. He could be heard at his desk talking on the phone with news source after news source, laughing, cajoling and enjoying the moment with someone he had no doubt known for years. And he had sources all over town, so there were a lot of calls to be made.

“He received his journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia    and at the Business Journal reported on law, accounting, banking, advertising and public relations, media, venture capital, transportation, aerospace and defense and a host of other industries. In 2001, he wrote and published ‘Hell on Keels: The Saga of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 12: A Story of Wooden Boats and Iron Men.'”

Read more here.