Sun-Times Media Chief Tyree Passes

By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 17, 2011 1:00PM

News broke yesterday of the passing of Mesirow Financial and Sun-Times Media Group chairman James Tyree at the age of 53. Mr. Tyree had been battling stomach cancer for months.

Born in Beverly, Mr. Tyree worked his way through college, starting by taking classes in the City Colleges of Chicago system while attending Marist High School. He earned a Bachelor's Degree and MBA from Illinois State, then joined Mesirow Financial as a research associate in 1980, rising to become president of the firm ten years later and chief executive officer in 1992.

Seventeen months ago, Mr. Tyree led a group of investors in buying Sun-Times Media Group, bringing it out of bankruptcy. While others questioned the investment, Mr. Tyree believed in STMG and the concept of a two-newspaper town. The tributes to Mr. Tyree have been pouring in since the news of his passing broke. Even though Tyree's group pulled the Sun-Times out of bankruptcy, their future is still shaky, and Robert Feder asks the $64,000 question: will Mr. Tyree's fellow investors stay the course and continue with his vision?