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Newspaper Heir Ellery McClatchy Dies At 86

POPE VALLEY (AP) -- William Ellery McClatchy, who for years sat on the board of his family's newspaper business and was a Hall of Fame croquet player, has died. He was 86.

McClatchy's niece, Adair McClatchy, said her uncle, who went by Ellery, died Tuesday of natural causes at his home in Pope Valley in Napa County.

The McClatchy family started its newspaper business, which includes the Sacramento Bee and the Miami Herald, after Ellery's McClatchy's great-grandfather moved to California during the Gold Rush.

Ellery McClatchy, the middle of three brothers who inherited and expanded the company, served 24 years as a board member and officer.

"He had a tremendous interest in the company and the family, and he always tried to be a balance between the two," McClatchy's nephew, Kevin McClatchy, told the Sacramento Bee. "He cared a great deal about the company and the role it has played in California and in journalism."

His father, Carlos McClatchy, founded The Fresno Bee and his aunt Eleanor McClatchy led the company for more than 50 years, the Sacramento Bee reported

He was also a ranked croquet player for many years, and in 1995 was inducted into the U.S. Croquet Hall of Fame.

The Sacramento Bee reports that McClatchy never married or had children.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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