Late Times-Delta journalist Jim Houck to be honored at memorial service

Jim Houck, a distinguished and decorated journalist, had a story for almost any occasion. Over a 60-year career as a newspaperman, including 20 years at the Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register, Houck collected plenty of stories. He also collected plenty of friends.

Houck died in December at the age of 81, stilling the voice of one of daily journalism's great champions

His friends, colleagues, and family will have the opportunity to share their own stories about Houck at a memorial service this week arranged by his longtime life partner Kaarin Simpson.

The memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, at 210 Cafe at 210 W. Center Ave. Those who have questions about attending may address them to kaarinlsimpson@comcast.net.

As the city editor of the Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register, Houck was famous for skewering the famous and powerful. No one took the admonition to "afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted" more seriously than Houck.

In his work, Houck's mission was to cultivate sources, not friendships, but he made plenty of friends anyway. Even those who felt victimized by Houck's criticism had to acknowledge the lofty principles under which he operated.

More: In Memoriam: Jim Houck set the standard in Valley journalism

Among those with whom he worked, Houck was admired and emulated as a mentor, teacher, colleague and friend.

He also left a far-flung collection of family members spread throughout the country.

For all those people — family members, friends and colleagues, and even those whom Houck covered in the 20-year segment of his career in Visalia — this memorial service will serve as an opportunity to share their memories and in many cases, reconnect with each other as they recall Houck's life and work.

Among the things at the top of the list would be Houck's devotion to newspaper journalism. He started working for and writing for newspapers while still in high school in Bakersfield. He continued his work in journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, and at the San Francisco Examiner. Houck's tales of working for newspapers in San Francisco in the 1960s and '70s were among his most vivid and hilarious.

He joined the San Francisco Examiner as a reporter in 1963 and worked his way up to news editor. In 1981, he joined the Dallas Morning News as their Sunday editor. A year later, he led the Baltimore Sun's newsroom as managing editor, where he worked for nine years. Houck then took a hiatus from daily journalism for several years while he managed a chain of newsweeklies in Iowa.

In 1998, his 37th year in journalism, he joined the Times-Delta, where he was the city editor until 2013. After a brief hiatus, he returned as special projects editor.

Many a day, fellow journalists would gather around his desk to hear stories about his time at the Examiner covering the Zodiac murders and the Patty Hearst kidnapping or his adventures at the Baltimore Sun.

His collection of tales later included stories about Tulare County, including his experience covering Todd Givens, the notorious neo-Nazi sent to Death Row.

"I sat two rows behind Todd Givens, fascinated by a tattoo of Hitler’s head spread across the side of Givens’ bald skull. Every time Givens would nod or squint, Adolf’s mustache would twitch," Houck would like to tell new reporters.

Houck left a strong legacy of public service journalism. Four times he earned Gruner Awards – the Valley's Pulitzer – for leading coverage of topics as diverse as violations of the state's open meeting laws by Tulare County supervisors, the lax local enforcement of DUI laws, and the corruption surrounding management at Tulare District Hospital. He was earnest about the public's right to know and about holding public officials accountable.

Whether it was following up on grand jury reports or requesting public records, Houck sometimes was a thorn in the side of some of those public officials.

It would not be a surprise if they were among those who attend Houck's celebration of life.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Late Times-Delta journalist Jim Houck to be honored