Manfred Pagel - A deep reverence for Reuters

Manfred spent his teens in America. This was a very happy time for him and he always retained his American accent in English. His command of the latter was impeccable.

In Brussels, from where he supervised continental RES reporting and the international financial printer desk, he was very much the agent of Mel Beiser, RES editor in London. He greatly improved reporting, editing and writing standards. But he struggled with some very sub-standard correspondents.

The local Belgian financial reporter Edmund van Menzel used to call him the " humorlose pommer" (humourless Pomeranian) which delighted Manfred.

Manfred was responsible for the newly created German language service following the break with DPA. 

It is fair to say he was always happier with economic news and editing (somewhat austere) than with general news.

He was horrified during a visit to the RES office in Milan to find the telegraphists singing opera as they punched.

He had a deep reverence for the Reuters brand, our collective achievements as a company and in particular the leadership of Mike Nelson.

His later years, post Reuters, were marred by the tragic death in a road accident of his son Andreas and his own ill health. But the achievements of his daughter Christina as a go-to pundit during Covid must have given him great pleasure and pride. ■