Associated Press Rome Bureau Chief Victor Simpson Passes Away at 84

Victor L. Simpson, the Associated Press's senior Rome bureau chief who covered five popes, wars, and global events during a 46-year foreign reporting career, has died of cancer at his home in Rome at the age of 84.

Extensive Journalism Career

During his 46-year career with the Associated Press, Victor L. Simpson had the opportunity to cover many of the most defining events of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The New York-born journalist joined the AP in Newark in 1967, where he wrote an award-winning series on organized crime before moving to the foreign desk.

Rome Bureau and Vatican Era

Simpson was assigned to Rome as a news editor in 1972, where he met his wife, Daniela Petroff, who later became an AP fashion and Vatican correspondent.

As one of the longest-serving Vatican correspondents of his generation, Simpson participated in dozens of foreign trips alongside John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

Personal Tragedies He Endured

Simpson's life was shaken by profound grief, such as his father being shot and killed during a robbery in 1964 and his 11-year-old daughter Natasha losing her life in a 1985 airport attack.

Additionally, his wife Daniela Petroff passed away in February at the age of 80.

Retirement Plan and Final Assignment

The veteran journalist postponed his retirement plans in order to cover the 2013 conclave that elected a new pope following the historic resignation of Benedict XVI.

As one of the senior figures of the Rome press corps, Simpson was always one of the first resources consulted by newly arrived reporters.