C. Donald Hatfield

C. Donald Hatfield, a distinguished newspaper writer, editor, and publisher, died after a brief illness in Huntington, West Virginia, on March 8, 2026, at the age of 90.

Born in Huntington in 1935 to Howard and LaUna Wilson Hatfield, Don graduated with honors from Huntington Vinson High School, where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball, setting a batting record of .606 that stood for two decades. He graduated from Marshall University and was later inducted into its W. Page Pitt School of Journalism Hall of Fame. He also studied at the American Press Institute at Columbia University.

His 47-year newspaper career began in 1953 at age 18 as a sportswriter for the Huntington Advertiser. He advanced through numerous roles, including assistant wire news editor, assistant news editor, Sunday managing editor, Advertiser managing editor, and executive editor of the merged Advertiser and Herald-Dispatch. From 1982 to 1986, he served as president, publisher, and editor of the Huntington Herald-Dispatch, later becoming a regional vice president for Gannett Co., Inc. In 1986, he moved to Arizona as president, publisher, and editor of the Tucson Citizen, also overseeing Gannett’s southwestern newspapers and serving on the board of Tucson Newspapers Inc. After retiring from newspapers in 2000, he served as vice president of corporate and foundation development at the University of Arizona Foundation until his second retirement in 2006. He and his first wife returned to Huntington in 2008.

Don was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Sandra Soto Hatfield, and by their three children, Lisa, Chris, and Joel. He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Proctor; his first wife’s sister, Shirley Lusk of Westbrook, Connecticut; sister-in-law Josephine Hatfield of Mansfield, Ohio; niece Stefanie Hatfield Salzmann of Sterling, Virginia; brother-in-law Jim Michel of Huntington; his first wife’s niece, Lesley Lusk Byrne of Glastonbury, Connecticut; and special family friend Tammy Stewart of Huntington. He was also predeceased by his half-brother, Howard Hatfield, of Mansfield.

A dedicated journalist who upheld the highest ethical standards, Don championed minority rights in news coverage, hiring, and promotion throughout his career. He authored numerous magazine articles and short stories and published three books: “Don Hatfield Cleans Out His Attic” in 1985, “A Pocketful of Cinders” in 2011, and the well-received memoir “Newspaperman” in 2018. He taught as a visiting professor, spoke at several universities, and received many honors, including induction into the Arizona Newspaper Hall of Fame. Deeply committed to his communities in both Huntington and Tucson, he served on numerous boards and organizations. Above all, he was devoted to his family and cherished his many friends, many of whom had worked alongside him. He found joy in books, especially the works of Ernest Hemingway and Gabriel García Márquez, and in all forms of music.