Bobby Duffy

Robert “Bobby” Duffy, 79, died Feb. 7, 2025, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital after a battle with cancer.

A graduate of Washington University, Duffy joined the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1973 and worked there for 32 years. During his time at the newspaper, he served as a reporter, critic, columnist, editorial writer and news editor.

For many years he was the newspaper's arts editor and later the cultural news editor, covering everything from architecture and opera to high society and marginalized communities.

He was also a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes for photography in 1978 and 1979.

Following his retirement from the newspaper, Duffy helped form the St. Louis Beacon, an online news site created by former Post-Dispatch employees that launched in 2008, when digital-only news outlets were rare. The St. Louis Beacon later merged with St. Louis Public Radio in 2013. In 2014, Duffy was named Media Person of the Year by the St. Louis Press Club.

Later, he became an adjunct instructor at Washington University.

Duffy is survived by his husband, ​​Marty Kaplan; a son, James, and two grandsons Jefferson and Warren; and many more friends and colleagues.