Posted By Becky Bisbee

Douglas W. Delp, 63, a long-time print and Internet reporter, columnist and editor, passed away unexpectedly Sept. 23 at Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Fla., following emergency surgery.

He leaves behind his best friend and beloved “bride,” Elaine, in addition to scores of close friends and admiring coworkers at Bankrate.com, where he was an assistant managing editor, as well as prior coworkers and reporters he had mentored. Some of these have gone on to write for other newspapers, such as The New York Times.

Doug worked as a sports reporter and columnist at the Fort Lauderdale News before moving to the Miami Herald, where he won a Green Eyeshade award for a series on science in sports. Not only a reporter, but an editor and columnist, Doug loved the fast-paced newsroom. He later worked at the Detroit Free Press before returning to South Florida in 1999 as Assistant Managing Editor at Bankrate.com in North Palm Beach.

In July, Bankrate.com won a Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists for its coverage of the Federal Reserve’s rate cuts. Doug was the editor who oversaw that coverage, leading a team of five reporters. He also won the Best in Business award from SABEW in the Enterprise Real-time in 2006.

Doug was an avid tennis player and enthusiastic fan of professional tennis, football (Dolphins, win or lose), basketball and ice hockey. He loved dogs and was a vocal advocate for animal rescue centers, from which he adopted his two loyal canines, Buddy and Haley.

He was kind-hearted and generous with his time, knowledge and affection for others, as well as a passionate supporter of the rights and interests of the common man. He loved good food, good wine and travel — particularly to France, where he dreamed of retiring one day.

A native of New York State, Doug received a bachelor’s from St. Bonaventure University, and earned a Master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University, where he also worked part-time as a DJ.

The U.S. Army drafted him during the war in Vietnam, where he flew night combat missions as a helicopter pilot — even though he was afraid of flying. Doug was shot down twice, and was awarded the Bronze star for valor.

Doug is survived by his wife, Elena; their two dogs, Buddy and Haley; his brother, Warren Delp of Kinderhook, NY; and his sister, Pat Ackerman of Albany, NY.