http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timesdispatch/obituary.aspx?n=harold-pearson&pid=155642771&fhid=4726 harold peaeon another great sport writer cover cup races thur the 80s and 90s will be miss.my prayer are to his family
Thank you, Ray. I just saw this posting about Harold Pearson's death and it is heart breaking. Harold was a good racing friend, a great racing writer, multiple-time President of the National Motorsports Press Association, and one of the most respected golf writers on the east coast. Every April, Harold had the enviable task of juggling his coverage of both the spring Darlington opener as well as the Masters Golf tourney in Augusta, Georgia... two venues for which he had a true reverence.
In addition, for many years Harold, even after retirement from the Richmond Times-Dispatch as the golf and motorsports writer, "ran" my deadline filing room in the Richmond International Raceway Infield Media Center. Many years ago, when he was the racing writer for the Roanoke (VA) Times & World News, Steve Waid began calling Harold "Weird Harold" after the Bill Cosby character. That eventually morphed into just plain "Weird," the sobriquet by which Harold was known to all his racing friends.
We have lost another really good person and fine racing writer who did much behind the scenes unsung to improve things for today's racing media. May Harold's family find peace and comfort. When the Azaleas bloom this spring in Augusta and the call is made at Darlington to start engines, you'll recognize Harold by the winning grin on his face. Goodbye old friend.
Harold Pearson
Former T-D sportswriter Harold Pearson dies
By: John O'Connor
Richmond Times Dispatch
January 26, 2012
Lanny Wadkins dealt with hundreds of journalists on a regular basis during his illustrious professional golf career. One of them, former Richmond Times-Dispatch staffer Harold Pearson, stood out to Wadkins. "I don't think, with all of the sportswriters I've ever met or come across, I've ever felt like I trusted someone as much as I did Harold," Wadkins, a Richmond native, said Wednesday. "He knew when I'd had a bad day, give me a little space. He understood. There aren't many (sportswriters) I considered friends. I definitely considered Harold a friend."
Mr. Pearson, a Times-Dispatch sports staffer from 1965 to 1996, died Tuesday evening at 78 after a period of declining health. In addition to NASCAR and golf, sports on which his work focused, Mr. Pearson wrote about college and high school athletics. "During my time at the T-D, Harold was an integral part of our sports coverage," said Bill Millsaps, Times-Dispatch sports editor from 1973 to 1991. "He had good contacts in his areas of responsibility golf and NASCAR and he used them to educate and entertain our readers."
Millsaps added that Mr. Pearson "was a kind and caring man," a compliment seconded by Wadkins. For decades, Mr. Pearson reported on elite professional golf events, and is remembered by Wadkins as "someone who cared about the game of golf. More importantly, he cared about the people he wrote about, which made him truly special. "He left a nice legacy, he really did."
Harold Dean Pearson, a native of Kings Mountain, N.C., attended Gardner-Webb College and graduated from Appalachian State University. An Army veteran, Mr. Pearson served in Europe following World War II. Following his time at the Times-Dispatch, Mr. Pearson edited Virginia Golfer, the official publication of the Virginia State Golf Association.
Mr. Pearson is survived by his wife, Diane, and a son, Chris. The family will receive friends Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Morrissett Funeral and Cremation Service, 6500 Iron Bridge Rd. (Route 10).
