Chester A. Higgins Sr., 83, a former journalist and editor, died Thursday, May 25, in the Hospice of Washington of cancer. Born in Chicago and raised here and in Lexington, Ky., he moved to Washington, D.C., in 1972 to become special assistant to Benjamin L. Hooks Jr., the first black appointee to the Federal Communications Commission. He started his journalism career while serving in the Army during World War II. Mr. Higgins was a reporter with the Louisville Defender and city editor of the Detroit edition of the Pittsburgh Courier. He moved back to Chicago to become senior editor of Jet Magazine for more than 10 years and was a journalism instructor at Malcolm X College. When Hooks left office, Mr. Higgins moved on to become assistant director of public affairs in the Department of the Army. In his later years Mr. Higgins worked in public relations for several organizations, including the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Center on Black Aged Inc. He most recently worked as a communications consultant with C. Delores Tucker, chairwoman of the National Political Congress of Black Women. Mr. Higgins was a straightforward man who easily made friends and served as an inspiration to many. “He was direct,” said his wife, Maria C. Kopecky Higgins. “He didn’t mince any words. He inquired all the time, and that’s how he made friends.” Other survivors include a son, Chester Jr.; a daughter, Pamela; a sister, Carol Kellogg; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. A memorial service is being planned.
