Jeremy Sollars: Sudden death of former Warwick Daily News editor devastates community

Warwick Daily News editor Kerri Moore pays tribute to former boss Jeremy Sollars, as his tragic death devastates the community and the former colleagues who loved and admired him.

Days in Warwick are a little darker this week, following the sudden death of former Warwick Daily News editor Jeremy Sollars.

I dreaded having to face reality and write this story, having spent the past few days sharing with friends and colleagues my own grief, sadness and anger at the loss of someone who so heavily impacted and influenced my life and my career.

This is undoubtedly the hardest story I have written and the most I have struggled for words since walking into the newsroom under Jeremy more than a decade ago.

While many knew him as a talented journalist, not everyone was fortunate enough to get insight into the person my WDN colleagues and I knew and admired.

I will always remember Jeremy as my first real mentor in journalism and, most importantly, someone who quickly became a friend I cherished.

As a boss, they don’t get much better than the one I was so lucky to have while starting out in journalism.

A day in the newsroom was anything but dull and was constantly filled with banter, laughter and all the things that make going to work not only fulfilling, but also absolute fun.

His patience knew no bounds and we know because we certainly tested it on the daily.

Former Warwick Daily News editor Jeremy Sollars dealing with the aftermath of the newsroom antics - always with a smile, even if through gritted teeth.

Despite the daily newsroom chaos, he never once cracked and was forever tolerant of - and even complicit in - our antics in the bunker.

Beyond being patient, he was an unwaveringly kind leader and I never doubted he had my back.

He was the type of boss you always knew would go to war for you and genuinely wanted nothing but the best for his team.

Of course, his writing talent and hunger for important news was undeniable.

Before I even stepped into a newsroom I would read Jeremy’s stories in the WDN and wanted to write like him and chase the stories he was chasing.

Though, not everyone shared the same admiration for Jeremy - and understandably so.

He loved to hold the big guys to account and wasn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers, whether asking the hard questions or flashing his camera around the courthouse to get a snap of the latest dodgy character fronting the magistrate.

So notorious was his court reporting that he came back from his daily Steele’s Bakery run to recount how a bunch of up-and-coming criminals had tried to pester him into letting them pick up his tab, after he had written a few less-than flattering stories about their dodgy dealings.

But he loved the drama of news and was at his best when he had a big guy to take down or some other big story fuelling that fire in his belly.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Warwick Daily News editor Jeremy Sollars during his time at the Daily News.

I admired him and was so grateful to have him help shape the journalist I am today.

Though I tried to play it tough, when he congratulated me on a story I had written, it was a moment of pride and satisfaction.

We had a relationship that was developed on playful taunts and digs we would hurl each other’s way at every opportunity, but it was all built on mutual respect, genuine camaraderie and bloody good humour.

There have been few people ever who could send me into hysterics the way Jezza did.

I know I am not alone in my despair at the loss of Jeremy, who was always well-loved by the WDN team members who were lucky to work alongside him.

He baffled and infuriated us with his inability to return a fork or dirty dish to the office kitchen and with his insistence on printing mounds of paper that he would stack beside or on top of the dishes, always assuring us they were a big break to some cracking story he was about to unveil.

But he was an office staple for so long and his loss will be felt deeply for a long time.

Beyond the chaos of his fishbowl office were the things that really showed who he was.

Hand-drawn pictures with “I love my dad” in bright, childish writing and photos of the sons and daughter he so adored.

He was never afraid to brag about his kids and the pure love he held for them was obvious to everyone who ever heard him speak of them.

Jeremy Sollars happy fundraising at the Freestone Trivia Night.

When I spoke to him a couple of months ago one of the first things he did was pull out his phone and show off his new grandson, so evidently proud to have become a granddad for the first time.

Life can be incredibly tough and sometimes we get thrown off track, but he was a kind man with so much talent and I wish his life took a different route.

For now, I will hold onto the memories.

And I am fortunate there are so many.

So many laughs, a few tears, the occasional swear word and plenty of glasses of wine.

My pivotal years in the industry were spent learning from him and I will forever be grateful for the impact he made on me and the friendship we shared.

I admired him. I aspired to be like him. I loved him.

Vale, Jeremy.

If you are struggling and need support, phone Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Originally published as Jeremy Sollars: Sudden death of former Warwick Daily News editor devastates community