By:Leatrice Slote Spanierman
Robert Richner, founder of the award-winning Herald Community Newspapers, died of congestive heart failure Tuesday, Sept. 18, at New York Hospital, after an extended illness. He was 79.
Mr. Richner was the former president and publisher of Richner Communications, which owns the Nassau Herald and 13 other weekly newspapers on Long Island. He resided in Hewlett Harbor and Boca Raton, Fla.
Mr. Richner, who kept a low profile in the community, was a powerful force behind the scenes. He did not choose to be the face of the newspapers; he was the backbone. He gave his staff complete editorial freedom, demanding only truth and fairness, and he supported his editors
