John McGuire – 2012
John McGuire was a long-time feature writer at the Post-Dispatch who was beloved by many. It was written in 2009, shortly after John died in his sleep at the age of 71, that the Post’s editorial board established the Harry Caray Rule in determining when to write an obituary editorial: “The subject must have been at least as well-known in St. Louis as the late Cardinals’ and Cubs’ broadcaster. Well, John knew Harry Caray, interviewed him and bent elbows with him many times. He also knew the bartender who poured Harry Caray’s drinks at Busch’s Grove and the guy who parked his car. He wrote about them, too.” The truth is, for 38 years at the Post-Dispatch, John McGuire simply had a knack for getting people from all walks of life to open up to him. Not only was he a good story-listener, but he was a great storyteller, whose words sparkled and danced on the page as he told with care the stories of other people’s lives.