William S. McTernan, 76, Newsday editor, dies

William S. McTernan Jr. worked in journalism for more than a half-century, but he was most happy at the end of his career when as a Newsday features copy editor he could focus on his personal interests: books, history, puzzles, art and antiques.

McTernan, a Stony Brook resident who retired from the paper two years ago, died Sunday at age 76 at Stony Brook University Hospital from vascular problems.

"Bill McTernan personified the part of the newspaper that has nothing to do with war, crime or politics, the part of the newspaper that is all about the little things that readers love: whether it's the comics, the games, the puzzles, the book reviews and his collecting column," said Newsday editorial projects director Jack Millrod, McTernan's last editor at the paper. "He loved talking to readers and writing back and forth with them."

McTernan acquired a huge collection of old books, including first editions. "That was his biggest love," said his wife of 50 years, Marylyn. So not surprisingly, "he loved editing the book reviews," Millrod said.

McTernan was also the comics editor when Millrod saw him doing a crossword puzzle and asked him to take over editing Newsday's puzzles as well.

McTernan was born in Newark, N.J., and graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School there. He was attending Fordham University when he left to serve in the Army for two years during the Korean War, stationed in Japan.

After his discharge, he enrolled at Seton Hall University and while working on his bachelor's degree he took a job at the Newark Evening News as a copy boy. He also wrote the shipping news before being promoted to reporter. He joined Newsday in 1967 and later became a copy editor on the night news desk before moving to the paper's features section. He also voiced radio commercials for the paper.

McTernan was an accomplished portrait artist who took classes at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and also liked to paint miniature military figures. He was active with the Long Island Historical Miniature Collectors Society and was a member of the American Legion. "He was a major Civil War buff and visited battlefields and loved writing about it" and painting portraits of its military leaders, his wife said.

"He sang all his life," participating in choirs and also in amateur musicals when he was young, she added.

Besides his wife, he is survived by four children, William S. McTernan III of Stony Brook, Katherine McTernan of Manhattan, Patricia Spitzler of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Peter A. McTernan of Charlotte, N.C., and two grandchildren.

Visiting is Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at South Chapel St. James Funeral Home in St. James. Funeral Mass is 10 a.m. Friday at Saints Philip and James Church in St. James, with burial at Calverton National Cemetery.