Journalist who helped shape newsrooms across the UK dies aged 53
Mark Templeton, a father-of-two who spent nearly a decade at the South Wales Argus, died on June 8 at a care home in Wrexham, two years after being diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare and incurable neurological disease.
His mother Anne and brother Andrew said: "Mark loved music and the news from an early age, hosting a show on hospital radio in his home city of Wrexham when he was just 16 years old.
"He was a fantastic son, brother, and the best dad to his two boys.
"The illness he suffered – PSP – is so cruel and awful, but he fought it very bravely and still loved listening to music until the end."
Mr Templeton served as news editor and then assistant editor of the South Wales Argus from 2004 to 2012.
Kevin Ward, former editor of the Argus, said: "Losing Mark is absolutely devastating for all his family and friends, but particularly for his two young sons.
"Mark and I were great friends for more than 20 years and we had some brilliant times together.
"I will miss him terribly.
"He was energetic, witty, huge fun to be around and a superbly talented journalist.
"To see the effect PSP had on him at such a young age has been heart-breaking."
Mr Templeton began his journalism career in 1989 as a trainee reporter at the Evening Leader in Wrexham.
He rose to deputy news editor before a brief period freelancing in the United States.
Returning to the UK, he worked as education correspondent at the Lancashire Telegraph before joining the Oxford Mail as local government correspondent.
He later returned to Blackburn as news editor and went on to run the newsroom at the Western Daily Press.
In 2004, he joined the South Wales Argus as news editor and was later promoted to assistant editor, overseeing the paper's fast-growing digital presence.
After leaving Newport, he led the newsdesk at the Echo in Basildon before transitioning into public relations.
He held roles at Medway Council and later became head of communications at the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation in 2016.
In 2022, he launched his own business, Spark PR, which he ran until his diagnosis in 2023.
Mr Templeton's funeral was held in Wrexham on June 26.
PSP affects around 4,000 people in the UK and causes problems with balance, movement, vision, speech, and swallowing, worsening over time.
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