Obituary: Shaun Best

Best had just finished dinner with other photographers covering the Canadian Grand Prix and was driving home with his longtime partner, Montreal Gazette copy editor Denise Duguay, when he had the attack.

“He came out of Winnipeg and saw the world with his camera,” said Mike Blake, a Reuters colleague. “He was friends with all photographers on the circuit, including those he competed with. It’s a sad day for all of us.”

“He loved what he did,” Duguay said. “He was incredibly generous. He taught himself photography and computers and then taught anybody else who wanted to know, and that included me and colleagues all over the world."

As a staff photographer, Best was what Duguay called “a stalwart” on the Reuters sports events team. Hockey and golf were his specialties.

Gary Hershorn, news editor, Pictures America, remembered Best as a friend and gentleman. “He shot every assignment well and never hesitated to lend a hand editing whenever possible. We will miss his hands on approach to the file,” he said in a note to staff. “We all should consider ourselves lucky to have had Shaun on our staff at Reuters. We benefited from his talent, friendship and willingness to help so many people in so many ways.” ■