Rachael Kamuf, who was on the original staff at Business First and was an editor at LEO, and a board member for the local chapter of the Society of Profesional Journalists, died in her home earlier this week.
That was a difficult sentence to write. I worked right next to Rachael for four years at Business First. She was a great mentor, was frequently irritated by my phone habits, but was a caring and thoughtful person who loved chasing a news story. We worked on a few investigative pieces together, and took great pleasure in getting to the bottom of stories. She was a journalist in every sense of the word, and loved to talk about the news business.
I saw Rachael recently, and was shocked to hear the news, as was anyone who knew her. She most recently worked for Kentucky Farm Bureau, but was always interested in the lives of those around her and especially those in the news business.
She was, however, extremely private about her own life. I was joking with another former reporter there, Cary Stemle, and neither us have any idea of her age. She would hate that I found the attached photo on the Internet. She chose not to be on Facebook.
Despite her toughness in tracking down stories, I know of no source or colleague that ever had a bad word to say about Rachael. Which is a pretty good legacy in this business.
Here’s a link to the column she wrote upon her departure from Business First in 2000. Rachael was originally from Owensboro, and arrangement for her funeral are still pending. Here’s a link to the funeral home there.
