The Tribune

THE managing editor of The Tribune newspaper, Eugene Duffy, has died aged 60 after a period of illness.

Mr Duffy joined The Tribune in 2017. He was a former editor of The Mirror newspaper and group managing editor of the Trinity Mirror group in the UK, bringing with him a wealth of experience.

He oversaw The Tribune through a period of two great disasters for The Bahamas – Hurricane Dorian in 2019, and the COVID pandemic.

Regular Tribune columnist Diane Phillips said of him: “Eugene Duffy was the kind of driven editor who could smell a story a mile away. He was relentless in his pursuit of the truth, obstinate once he drew a conclusion, always urging his reporters to dig deeper and treat every story as if it mattered.

“Sadly, they don’t make editors like Eugene Duffy any more and now we have lost a great one, as tough as he was wise, as humorous as he was serious. He will be missed for his humour as well as his grit and that gift of detective with a pen.”

 Fellow columnist Front Porch added: “When I first met Duffy to discuss becoming a columnist at The Tribune, we had a vigorous exchange in negotiating an agreement. We eventually worked through our differences, and though we did not always agree on certain matters, we developed a warm and professional working relationship.

“He was well-informed about world affairs and curious to learn more about The Bahamas. Like any good relationship, we learned much from each other. This columnist will miss his sharp insights and sometimes irreverent humour.

 “He is obviously mourned by his family and friends in Britain. He will also be missed by the Bahamians who came to know him during his relatively brief time with us. He knew the goodness and warts of The Bahamas. But he had an affection for the country and will be missed.”

 Sir Christopher Ondaatje, who writes the Literary Lives column in The Tribune’s Weekend section, said: “Eugene Duffy was a true professional editor and journalist. He had taste and judgement – and we worked together at The Tribune for nearly four years. He always kept his characteristic sense of humour.

“I will miss him enormously.”

 Serena Williams, of Serena Williams Media and Public Relations, knew of Mr Duffy from his days working in UK newspapers. She said: “I am greatly saddened at the news that Eugene, or Duffy as we called him, has passed away.

 “I knew of him during my years in London working in Public Relations. We had many Fleet Street friends in common and I was thrilled to meet him personally when he came to Nassau to fill the managing editor’s post at The Tribune.

 “He was a dyed-in-the-wool journalist, loved every second of it and did a great job too. Warm and friendly and always helpful, we often enjoyed long chats about the Fleet Street days and the journalists we knew. Many laughs and lots of memories shared. I’ll miss you Duffy. God Bless. Keep writing those great ‘right hook’ headlines.”

 Tribune columnist Felicity Darville said: “Eugene impacted my career as a journalist in a most meaningful way. When I told him of my personal mission to get more good news in the news, he sat with me and together, we carved out my column, Face to Face with Felicity. He loved my writing and encouraged me in my pursuit. He also held no words back when it came to constructive criticism. We also shared many laughs together. He will be missed, and I want his family to know that he loved them dearly and bragged about them all the time. Rest on, dear Eugene, our managing editor and friend.”

 Mr Duffy took great pride in the supplement he personally oversaw paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on her passing.

 He returned to England in recent months for treatment, and died on Sunday. He is survived by his wife, Gill, and his children.

 Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

 • Readers wishing to pay tribute to Mr Duffy can email letters@tribunemedia.net