Richard B. (Dick) Wynne
Hendersonville … Richard B. (Dick) Wynne, of Laurel Park, a retired newspaper publishing executive, died on June 5, 2025, at the age of 97.
He was president and publisher of the Asheville Citizen-Times from 1973-1987, and senior vice president of Multimedia Newspaper Co., from 1987-1993, and was active in the civic and business life of Asheville and Western North Carolina for three decades.
Born August 25, 1927, he grew up on a farm in what is now the Erwin community, and went to work as a copy boy at the Asheville Citizen in 1944. He took a leave to serve in the United States Air Corps, and rejoined the paper in 1947 and attended Asheville-Biltmore College while working nights. Over the years he occupied every chair in the newsroom.
Professionally, Wynne was a past president of the North Carolina Press Association and the NC AP Club. He also was a director of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and served as a Pulitzer Prize Juror in Journalism at Columbia University.
In Asheville, he was president of the Chamber of Commerce, helped form the Community Foundation and was its second chairman, held leadership positions in the United Way, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Better Business Bureau, WNC Development Association, and was founder of WNC Tomorrow. He served on the Boards of Trustees at Asheville-Biltmore College, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Western Carolina University, and Mission Hospital.
Working with these organizations, he was proud of having been part of many achievements such as: the transition of A-B College into UNCA; watching two universities flourish with major campus upgrades; the development the WNC Farmers Market and the Livestock Arena; locating the NC Arboretum at Bent Creek (he was chair of the site selection committee); seeing Mission Hospital emerge from near bankruptcy to become a major health center and the Community Foundation’s progress, now embracing WNC with phenomenal growth.
His participation in these and other projects earned him the Chamber’s “Big A” Award. He also was honored by UNCA as an outstanding alumnus and given the Chancellor’s Medallion, and by the J.D. Cooley Award from the WNC Development Association. He was a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
In retirement, Wynne was vice chairman of the Janirve Foundation Committee that awarded more than one hundred million dollars to WNC non-profits with other major grants to colleges, libraries, hospitals, the YMCA, and the arts among others. Janirve at its closure, financed the Legacy Fund at the Community Foundation with a 10 million dollar grant.
Wynne was twice married. His first wife, the former Betty Jean Rice, was mother to their four children. She died in 1991. His second wife, the former Vera Meyer Moseley, survives, as do three children, Rick (Stacy) of Asheville, Patrice Justus (Alan) of Hendersonville, and Debra Wynne of Boone, NC; and three grandchildren, Jamie Justus of Hendersonville, Ben Justus of Raleigh, and Karlie Marlowe of Hendersonville and Raleigh; and great-grandsons, Roan Justus and Whit Marlowe; and a great-granddaughter, Campbell Justus. A son, Dennis (Beth) of Asheville died in 2021.
Richard and Vera left their retirement home in Robbinsville in 1996, moving first to Asheville and then to Laurel Park in 2004. They enjoyed their Fleetwood Plaza neighbors and visits with the children. This also was a base for many travels abroad and visits to Vera’s native Germany.
Richard attended Grace Lutheran Church and the family suggests that any memorials be made to the church at 1245 6th Ave. W., Hendersonville, NC 2891.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 pm, Thursday, June 19, 2025, at Grace Lutheran Church. The family asks that those who attended, please refrain from colognes or perfumes due to fragrance sensitivity. Shuler Funeral Home has the honor of serving the family.