Memorable Manitobans: Marion Hilletta Epton Lepkin (1927-2009)

Journalist.

Born at Brandon in 1927, she graduated from Brandon Collegiate, where she won the Governor General’s Medal and was class president in Grade 11 and won an Isbister Scholarship and was class valedictorian in Grade 12. She studied piano from the age of nine and received first-class honours in her Grade 10 music exam. At Brandon College, she won an IODE scholarship in second year and another in third year, when she was editor of the students’ monthly newspaper. She edited the college yearbook in fourth year and graduated at 20 with an honours BA in political economy, distinguishing herself with gold medals in economics, sociology and general proficiency.

At 23 she entered journalism by way of a job at the Winnipeg Free Press, where she had a long career as a writer and editor. She was a feature writer and news reporter, covering beats that included suburban affairs, education, Winnipeg city hall and the Manitoba legislature. She began her editing career as a junior sub-editor and worked through the editorial ranks to become telegraph editor, chief copy editor, assistant city editor and Canadian news editor. After moving into entertainment in 1955, she wrote a weekly column of television criticism and made numerous appearances on radio and television shows. In 1961 she became editor of the Saturday Free Press Radio-TV Guide, editing stories, choosing photographs, writing headlines and cutlines and doing layout. She wrote radio news for the Free Press and for the CBC and, while living in Los Angeles for 15 months, attended seminars on radio writing, acting and production.

She died at Winnipeg on 1 May 2009.

Sources:

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 9 May 2009.

“The ’09 honour roll,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 January 2010, page H4.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 1 April 2016

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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