A class act moves on

Yesterday brought down the curtain on a distinguished 41 year-career in daily newspapering for the classiest of class acts -- Doug Bates, an associate editor at The Oregonian who's revered by everyone who's had the pleasure of working with him.

Over the years, Doug worked for daily newspapers in Eugene, Bend, San Diego and Seattle before joining The Oregonian in 1993. At our paper alone, he worked as a reporter and editor, leading our coverage of business and crime news, before moving to the editorial department, where he served as Commentary editor (essentially doing the job I do now) and then as an editorial writer. Last year, he was inducted into the University of Oregon's School of Journalism & Communication Hall of Achievement.

In 2006, he and fellow Associate Editor Rick Attig achieved the ultimate journalistic accomplishment -- a shared Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing -- for their series of editorials on deplorable conditions at Oregon's largest psychiatric hospital (the same one made famous by Jack Nicholson in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest").

The editorial department, joined by Editor Sandy Rowe, gathered last night at Rick's home to give Doug a heartfelt sendoff as he leaves Portland today to write a new chapter in his life. He and his wife, Gloria, are literally going home again -- to Oakridge, a once-booming mill town in the Cascades where they were high school sweethearts -- to enjoy the outdoors, to volunteer for local organizations and otherwise leave behind the urban grind.

At 63, Doug has plenty of miles left on his odometer and he's eager to return to other forms of writing after so many years of meeting daily deadlines. He's already written a couple of screenplays and two books, including one, "Gift Children," about their experiences raising two adopted black daughters, plus their two biological sons.

In the two years I was blessed to work with Doug, he was the consummate pro: a graceful writer and versatile reporter who was equally attentive to details and deadlines, appreciative of the slightest tweaks to his work ("Great edits, George") and unfailingly respectful toward the many guests who came in to meet with the editorial board, whether it was a professional politician, a legislative candidate or a nervous representative of a nonprofit.

He epitomized grace under pressure, even as he exhibited genuine humility, curiosity and concern for others. He wrote passionately on behalf of children and uninsured adults as well as Oregon itself, reminding us to covet and protect this beautiful corner of the country. He would have continued doing this had it not been for the economic and technological forces buffeting our industry. He's one of an estimated 50 or so staffers who've taken the company's latest buyout offer -- the third in the past two years.

I read Doug's farewell column yesterday with a lump in my throat (I will post it here after it's published this weekend) and then walked with him to the newsroom studio so he could do a short video interview discussing his reasons for leaving and his confidence that The Oregonian will survive as one of the state's institutional treasures.

We hope to visit Doug and Gloria sometime next year, once they're settled (or resettled) into their new/old community. For now, I can't think of a better sendoff than "Vaya con Dios."