Columbus, OH — Max Heath, 75, died July 28, 2021.

Mr. Heath was a native of Campbellsville, Ky., and the son of the late Harry Heath, a Kentucky newspaperman, and Virginia Allen Heath.

He enjoyed the sport of harness racing since his days as sports editor and partnered on Kentucky Sire Stakes winners on both the pace and trot. Most recently, he owned interests in horses as part of the VIP Internet Stable and rarely missed Kentucky Futurity Day at the Red Mile.

He retired in 2008 as vice-president, postal/acquisitions of Landmark Community Newspapers, Shelbyville, Ky., where he had resided since 1980.

For 22 years he was executive editor responsible for recruiting, training, and news quality improvement for 54 paid weekly and daily newspapers in 13 states with over 300,000 paid circulation. For 23 years he was circulation director as well, helping grow paid circulation and training circulation managers.

He was a self-styled “country editor” who edited and managed non-daily newspapers in Kentucky and Indiana and served as regional manager for numerous LCNI properties.

Mr. Heath served 35 years as chair of the Postal Committee of the National Newspaper Association (NNA) and wrote a monthly Postal Tips column for Publisher’s Auxiliary. He was named to the Postal Service Mailer’s Technical Advisory Committee representing NNA from 1989 to 2017.

He received the NNA President’s Award in 1989 and 1997, Ambassador Award in 1992, and coveted Amos Award for service to community newspapers in 1994. He conducted seminars on “Maximizing Postal Savings and Delivery” for newspaper associations and groups for 25 years.

He was general manager of News Publishing Company, Tell City, Ind., and editor of The Perry County News from 1975-80. In 1978 The News was awarded “Blue Ribbon Weekly” for best non-daily in Indiana by the Hoosier State Press Association.

Mr. Heath worked more than 10 years as a journalist in his hometown of Campbellsville. He was managing editor of the semi-weekly Central Kentucky News-Journal in 1974-75, and editor and general manager of The News-Journal from 1971-74 and part of 1969.

From 1969-71, he served in the Army as an information specialist in Alabama and Thailand, where he was editor of the newspaper for U.S. Army Support Thailand.

From 1965-69, he worked his way through Campbellsville University (which honored him with a Distinguished Alumnus award in 1987). He served as sports editor and news editor of the Central Kentucky News. In 1968, the Kentucky Press Association awarded him Best Sports Page in Kentucky. Prior to that, he was a sportswriter for The News-Journal in high school. He also edited his high school newspaper. He free-lanced for The Courier-Journal from 1969-‘75.

Mr. Heath has served as president of the Kentucky Press Association; Louisville chapter of Society of Professional Journalists; the United Way of Perry County, Ind.; the Perry County Unit, American Cancer Society; director of the Tell City Kiwanis Club; and the Hoosier State Press Association.

He was named to the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 1996. He was given LCNI’s first President’s Award for Outstanding Service in 1990. He received the Edwards M. Templin award from KPA in 1992 for service to the community. He was named KPA’s Most Valuable Member in 1985 and 1988 and earned a 110% Award in 1983. He was also a Kentucky Colonel.

The Hoosier State Press Association gave him its Distinguished Service Award in January 2006, as did the Wisconsin Newspaper Association in 2010 and the Ohio News Media Association in 2019. The Institute for Rural Journalism and the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists in Lexington, Ky., presented Mr. Heath with the Al Smith Award for public service through community journalism in July 2012.

Mr. Heath was a member of Southeast Christian Church, where he volunteered as an usher for over 20 years and served on the operating and publishing boards of The Southeast Outlook, a weekly newspaper.

Mr. Heath and his wife Ruth Ann enjoyed traveling, and visited 21 Caribbean islands, Hawaii and Taiwan, and many states with NNA conventions. They enjoyed country music from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, and attended many concerts. He was a University of Louisville and Cincinnati Reds fan. A life highlight was attending every major league baseball park with his son, Jason, and pride in him being an Eagle Scout.

He is survived by his wife, the former Ruth Ann Sullivan; son, Jason; and nephews, Ricky and Chad. His brother, Harold, preceded him in death.