Workplaces columnist Dr. Wally has terminal cancer

Wallace Johnston, the workplace columnist known as Dr. Wally whose column appears in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and 16 other newspapers, has terminal cancer, according to a story in the Richmond paper.

Carol Hazard wrote, “He spent the next 25 years at VCU, before accepting an early buyout in 1997 and starting his next career as a columnist, commentator and speaker.

“He convinced the general sales manager at WTVR that information was plentiful about business but little was available about work and people at work. He did two-minute ‘Job Talk’ segments on TV, then landed one-minute radio gigs on WRVA and public radio.

“He talked his way into The Times-Dispatch as a guest commentator. That evolved into weekly columns, ‘Speaking of Work’ in Metro Business section and ‘Ask Dr. Wally’ in the daily business section. His columns also appeared in 16 other Media General newspapers and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“‘He had the uncanny ability to call me at the darndest times,’ said Thomas A. Silvestri, president and publisher of The Times-Dispatch.

“When Silvestri, who helped Johnston get his work published, faced a crossroads in his career, he and Johnston would go to lunch and figure it out.”

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