While the City Paper has lost one of our own, our entire community will suffer from the loss of Jeff McGinnis, editor of the City Paper and longtime contributor to publications throughout the area. Jeff began writing for the City Paper in 2015 and came on as Assignment Editor in 2020. His humor, upbeat attitude, bracing honesty and determination to tell the story to readers is a rare combination of talent and commitment that cannot be matched.
Around the office, Jeff was always the one who could “get it done.” Whatever the task, whatever the ask, McGinnis was the go-to guy who always delivered. His sense of humor
and his heart of gold were emblematic of his personality, as was his concern for all things human — a trait too often missing in these days and times.
While Jeff was known for his incredible work as a journalist — he won a Touchstone award in 2019 for his work on “She’s in the Scene: Toledo’ Women in Music” and was nominated for another award this year — his creative voice made an impact on our community in countless ways. His pop culture expertise came into play during his time as an on-air host for local radio station 92.5, and he made his mark on the theater scene at BGSU, where he was involved in their productions. Jeff was also a prolific short story writer who has had his work published in anthologies like “Monster Earth.” In short, Jeff’s life was spent telling stories, making people laugh, and bringing to light human interest pieces that touched all of our hearts.
He was also a good friend. Any staff member who worked with Jeff knew that he was available for a chat any-time you needed him. Not just about work, but about life stuff. He always made the time.
He was committed to his family, especially his nieces, who he talked about lovingly and often. While we have lost an editor, one who drove story ideas and content creation, our community has lost an influencer and a wordsmith that will be most impossible to replace.
Our appreciation, expressed to Jeff often, but now we realize, sadly, perhaps not often enough, goes out to Jeff and his family. We will continue without him, but he will not be forgotten. As Jeff said regularly and in a series of texts, including one just before his passing, “Big Hugs!”
