Bruce Larrick, 59, Inquirer editor

Bruce Larrick, a Philadelphia Inquirer editor fondly described by a colleague as "the crusty old rock on the national desk for 20 years," died Saturday night of an apparent heart attack shortly after he and his wife had a quiet dinner in their Fairmount home to celebrate his 59th birthday.

Although the cause of death has not been determined, Lynn Larrick said her husband, who had had heart disease for many years, had a new cardiac pacemaker and defibrillator implanted a few weeks ago.

Mr. Larrick was hospitalized last weekend for what doctors said was an anxiety attack, but he was given a clean bill of health Nov. 12. He worked his usual Thursday and Friday shifts at the paper, and was off Saturday for his birthday.

After a dinner of pizza and pinot noir - the wine was a gift from the national desk - Mr. Larrick's defibrillator pacemaker began going off repeatedly, and his wife called 911.

"He said, 'Don't touch me. I don't want you to get shocked,' " Lynn Larrick said.

She summoned help from neighbors who are health-care professionals. Members of the rescue squad worked on Mr. Larrick as well, but he was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at St. Joseph's Hospital.

"He was happy and talking to me, and then he was gone," Lynn Larrick said yesterday. "I told him I loved him, because I did. He was really my soul mate."

When so many marriages are unhappy, Lynn Larrick said she was not sure why their 20 years together were so good.

"There was never a bad day except with his health issues," she said. "We never had a fight; never had an argument. It was just a wonderful, wonderful marriage."

Thomas P. Steacy, interim editor of The Inquirer's national-foreign desk, said of Mr. Larrick: "He epitomized in its finest sense the crusty old newsman. In his corner of the newsroom, he liked the serious, issues story. And he was one to not shy from speaking his mind. Every few months he dashed off a note to a top editor to register his disagreement over something they said."

William K. Marimow, The Inquirer's executive editor, was among those who often heard from Mr. Larrick.

"I thought he was a terrific editor who really cared passionately about the newspaper," Marimow said yesterday. "Over the last 11 months, I got as much constructive criticism from him as from anyone on the staff."

Mr. Larrick, who joined The Inquirer in September 1986, was an avid reader who enjoyed traveling and loved playing games of all kinds, including chess. He also was a baseball fan who kept baseball statistics. Lynn Larrick said the couple became satellite TV subscribers so Mr. Larrick could get a 24-hour baseball channel.

A native of Canton, Ohio, Mr. Larrick was hired by the Akron Beacon Journal in 1970 and was a cub reporter when that paper won a Pulitzer prize for its coverage of the 1970 Kent State shootings during a protest of the Vietnam War.

During a decade at the Beacon Journal, Mr. Larrick covered the environment and became city editor. He taught journalism at Kent State from 1982 until 1986.

Mr. Larrick had a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University and a master's in political science from the University of Akron.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Larrick is survived by a son, Bryan, of New York City; and his former wife, Kathy Fraze.

A memorial service is planned at The Inquirer.