M. Justin Baum, Sales Manager at the Washington Star, December 28, 2013

M. Justin Baum, who worked in advertising in the Washington area for more than four decades, died Dec. 28 at his home in Bethesda. He was 93.

The cause was complications from dementia and congestive heart failure, said his son, Bobby Baum.

Mr. Baum retired in the early 1990s after a decade as an advertising consultant. He had previously been a sales manager at the Washington Star newspaper and an advertising manager with Lansburgh’s department stores. He began his career working for advertising agencies including the Ernest S. Johnston Agency, where he was an account executive.

M. Justin Baum was born in the District, where he graduated from Western High School in 1937 and attended Wilson Teachers College. He served in the Army Air Forces during World War II and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from American University in 1955.

Attribution: Emily Langer, washingtonpost.com

Former TV sports award-winning columnist Bill Taaffe dies at 70

TAAFFE--William (Bill), Jr, passed at home in Henderson, NV on December 12. Born September 27, 1943 in Queens, NY. Survived by wife, Donna, son, Will, and sister, Joan Engel. Attended Oratory Prep and Seton Hall in New Jersey. Award-winning columnist, esp sports. Staff editor at New York Times sports desk more than seven years. Co-edited New York Times' anthology Sports of the Times. His pioneering TV sports column for Sports Illustrated won National Headliners Award for best national magazine column. Was also a columnist for The Washington Post, The Washington Star, and Las Vegas Review Journal. Co-authored Gimme a Break by sportscaster Warner Wolf, and Stripped with Pastor Jud Wilhite. Chaplain with Marketplace Chaplains.

Attribution: NYTimes

John Rosson, 28 Year Star Veteran Reporter and Editor, December 7, 2013

JOHN MacNAIR ROSSON (Age 86) Of Washington, DC, died Saturday, December 7, 2013 at Hospice of the Chesapeake, in the Baltimore Washington Medical Center. He was born to the late Leon Glenmore and Dorothy MacNair Rosson on June 29, 1927, in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school, Rosson served in the United States Navy at the end of World War II. Upon Honorable Discharge, he went on to attend the University of Maryland, serving as Managing Editor of the school's newspaper, the Diamondback, and graduating with a degree in Journalism in 1951.

After graduating from Maryland, Rosson worked for the Evening Capitol in Annapolis, MD, covering city and county government and the State House. In 1953 he moved to the Evening Star, later the Washington Star, where for the next 28 years he was a police reporter, nightly news reporter, education reporter covering the District Board of Education, editor of the Star's weekly Teen section, assistant picture editor and picture editor.