B. Vance Askew, whose career in the circulation department of The Baltimore Sun Co. spanned 40 years, died of complications from a stroke Sunday at Baytree Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility in Palm Harbor, Fla. He was 75.
Mr. Askew, a former Parkville resident who had lived in Holiday, Fla., since 1988, was born in Portsmouth, Va.
As a child, he moved with his family to Forest Park. After graduating from Polytechnic Institute in 1944, he enlisted in the Army Air Forces.
Mr. Askew served in the Pacific and later in the occupation of Japan. After being discharged in 1945, he enlisted in the regular Army until being discharged a second time, as a private in 1947.
He worked briefly as a sales associate in men's furnishings at Hutzler's department store before joining The Sun's circulation department as a solicitor in 1948.
Called "Van" by his colleagues, Mr. Askew was recognized for his gregarious and rather expansive personality.
He was also known for his ever-present, unlit maduro double-corona cigar, which he regularly used to puncture the air when making a point in a discussion.
Mr. Askew had served as rural route manager, county manager and assistant circulation promotion manager. He later was state circulation manager and suburban circulation sales manager. At his retirement in 1988, he was the newspaper's Eastern Shore circulation manager.
John Patinella, general manager and senior vice president of The Baltimore Sun Co., began his career in the circulation department working with Mr. Askew.
"Van really was a great newspaperman. He was respected by the distributors and agents he worked with. And they all trusted him," Mr. Patinella said.
"He had a great style and way of dealing with people. If they were angry or upset, he knew what to say to ameliorate the situation," he said.
Mr. Patinella also described him as the "key person" in the department as suburban circulation grew during the 1970s.
The one obstacle to his work, however, was the Bay Bridge, Mr. Patinella said.
"He just couldn't drive over the Bay Bridge. He hated that bridge and had to get a driver to do it, or he'd drive around through Delaware to reach the Eastern Shore," he said, laughing. Devoted to his job, Mr. Askew missed only five days of work during his long career.
"During the Blizzard of 1979, he walked from Old Harford Road and Putty Hull Avenue, all the way down to the Sunpapers. He knew he had to get there to help get the paper out," said his wife of 22 years, the former Shirley Brinker.
Gary Black Sr., who was then-chairman of the board of the A.S. Abell Co., which published The Sun and The Evening Sun, was attending the 1972 Republican Convention in Miami when he was struck by the volume of out-of-town newspapers that arrived each day on the convention floor. He wondered if The Sun could in some way be brought to Miami.
"He called Van and asked if he could get 100 papers to Miami the next morning," said John H. Plunkett, retired assistant managing editor of The Sun.
"Van couldn't get any commercial airline to do that, so [he] chartered a light plane, like a Piper Cub, and a pilot. He drove the truck to the airport, loaded the papers aboard and flew to Florida," Mr. Plunkett said.
"When he returned to Baltimore, he caught holy hell until his bosses found out that it had been approved by the highest authority," he said.
"Van was an extremely nice and popular guy and well-known throughout the company," Mr. Plunkett said.
Mr. Askew liked fishing, reading and duckpin bowling. He was a member of the Lions Club of Timonium, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. His marriage to the former Edith Funkhouser ended in divorce.
There are no services.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Askew is survived by two daughters, Deborah Askew-Winkler of Baltimore and Milicent Louise Paparounis of Parkville; and a sister, Mildred Larsen of Lady Lakes, Fla.