• by Ray Schultz , April 22, 2024

John Brewer who spent nearly 20 years at Associated Press during a 50-year career in journalism, has died at age 76. 

Brewer drowned on Friday after a boating accident on a fly fishing trip in Montana, according to AP. 

Brewer spent nearly 18 years as editor and publisher of the Peninsula Daily News in Port Angeles, Washington prior to retiring in 2015. 

He was a “person of integrity, driven by a passion for community and local journalism,” says publisher Eran Kennedy. 

Brewer worked for AP from 1969 to 1988, covering the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, among other stories. He served as a reporter, bureau chief and executive for AP in Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. 

Actor Mark Hamill once worked for Brewer as a copy boy.