Edward Sterlin Holmesly

Longtime San Antonio Express-News journalist Sterlin Holmesly died Monday at age 90. He will be remembered for his enthusiastic services to the city and to his leadership during a 30-year newspaper war that ended dramatically in 1993.

His death was not a surprise. Last month, Holmesly told friends, "My mind is still sharp, but my body is falling apart." He was checked into a local hospital last week, with pneumonia, and died with covid a few hours after being moved into hospice care.

Holmesly was born in Haskell, Texas, on May 21, 1932. He graduated from Haskell High School in 1949 and matriculated to West Texas State University, where he was an art major and journalism minor, and from where he graduated in 1953. A two-year hitch in the U.S. Army followed, all of it served as a company clerk at Fort Bliss in El Paso.

There was no doubt what Sterlin would do next. He'd been a correspondent for the Amarillo Globe-News while in college, including a fulltime stint as a sportswriter during his senior year at WTSU. He returned to the Globe-News when he got out of the Army. He worked on the sports desk, regional reporter and was morning edition news editor. After two years (1955-57) at the Globe-News, he nabbed a reporter-photographer job at the Hereford Brand (1957-58), followed by three years (1958-61) at the Corpus Christi Caller.

In 1961, Sterlin moved to the San Antonio Express-News, a Harte Hanks paper, which had morning and afternoon editions, and competition -- the San Antonio Light, which at the time was selling more newspapers in San Antonio than the Express-News.

Who would have thought Sterlin, age 29, would stay there for 34 years and hold many management positions: news editor, Sunday editor, managing editor, editorial page editor and editorial editor director; and who would have thought the next 34 years would be the most exciting of his life?

The excitement began in 1973 when notorious Australian Rupert Murdoch bought the Express-News and vowed to knock the notorious William Randolph Hearst's Light out of business. And the newspaper war ensued.

The competition was fun, and the journalism was pretty good. Dedicated newspapermen like Holmesly worked like hell to get San Antonians to read their papers. By 1984, the Express-News was making money and the Light was losing it, a million dollars a month, some claimed. Do the math; the Light had to go.

In the end, Murdoch's prediction that he'd kill the Light came true, sort of. Hearst folded the Light and bought the Express-News, which kept its brand and retained its work force. and kept Express-News brand. Murdoch got a bundle of Hearst cash, but Hearst got a virtual monopoly that has served him well for the last 30 years.

"Sterlin was one of the "adults" in charge at the E-N that guided the paper to its victory over the Light," observes Roger Downing, a retired E-N copy editor. "He was a good man, as well as the most famous journalist to come from Haskell. May he rest in peace."

Nelson Wolff, who served in the Texas Senate, its House of Representatives, the San Antonio City Council, its mayor and Bexar County judge, knew Sterlin well in his role of editorial page editor.

"Sterlin was a good guy, straight-forward and honest. The newspaper war between the Express-News and was an exciting time," says Wolff, a native San Antonian. "Sterlin was lucky to be there, when newspapers were at the height of their power."

Sterlin was a man of many talents. He was an artist; a succinct writer; an articulate speaker; a voracious reader; and a natural leader. He was a student of history, especially World War II. He enjoyed all kinds of music and sports and handled himself well on the tennis court. He considered himself a dapper dresser. He liked people and they liked him.

John E. Clark, San Antonio lawyer, judge and the author of The Fall of the Duke of Duval: A Prosecutor's Journal, met Sterlin after he retired from the Express-News. The men were boys during World War II and shared interests in that and many other things.

"We hit it right off and became regular lunch partners. I found Sterlin to be kind and thoughtful, a person who takes friendship seriously," Clark says. "I sure am going to miss him."

So is Sterlin's longtime and loyal secretary Amy Romans who said: "Oh, how said. I worked under Mr. Holmesly till the day he retired. He took me under his wing and was like a father to me. May he rest in peace."

Sterlin had many friends, male and female, but the love of his life was Sydney, a cute, tiny, red-head, special ed teacher he met on an airplane bound for Dallas in 1977. Luckily, they were seated next to each other and shared a fandom of the Dallas Cowboys. The flight was just long enough for Sterlin to get Sydney's phone number, and the rest is history. The couple married later that year.

They enjoyed many happy years together, but Sydney passed away, too soon, in April of 2006.

Homesly leaves a daughter, Anne Thomas, a son in law Joseph Thomas, a grandson Henry Thomas and great grandson Leo Thomas-Alverez.

Also, living nieces, nephews and spouses: Patty W. Black of Amarillo; Kay W. Neslage (Tom) Spicewood; Joel Bookout (Meaza) Albuquerque, N.M.; Grant Johnson (Judy) Nogales, Ariz.; Laura J. Smith, Little Rock, Ark.; and numerous great nieces and nephews.

Deceased sisters and spouses: Quida Holmesly White (John); Francis Holmesly Bookout (Cecil); and Doris Holmesly Alexander (Ted); plus deceased parents Ida Pearl Kreger Holmesly and James Edward Holmesly.

As a journalist, he reported from the Middle East, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Great Britain, India, Pakistan, Australia, Korea and Taiwan.

Sterlin found time for civic affairs. He was a board member of the World Affairs Council, Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Business Committee for the Arts, the Performing Arts Association, Central del Barro, Jazz Repertory Company of Texas, Business Associates of San Antonio Museum Association. And he was a member of the Rotary Club of San Antonio and the Torch Club.

Other interests include more than 100 oral history tapes said to be on file in the Institute of Texan Cultures.

Graveside services for the Holmesly funeral will be Monday, April 10, at 3 p.m. at Sunset Memorial Park in San Antonio. With line and reception to follow there.

Finally, in 2013, upon the death of respected Express-News Publisher/Editor Charles O. Kilpatrick, Sterlin said: "Charlie Kilpatrick was a leader with an unusual blend of discipline and compassion, aided by a wry sense of humor.

Sterlin might have talking about himself. God bless, old pal.

A graveside service for Edward will be held Monday, April 10, 2023 at 3:00 PM at Sunset Memorial Park (Pavillion Shelter), 1701 Austin Highway, San Antonio, TX 78218. Following the graveside service will be a reception from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM at Sunset Reception Hall, 1701 Austin Highway, San Antonio, TX 78218.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sunsetfuneralhomesa.com for the Holmesly family.