Former longtime Departures editor Richard David Story died Friday in New York City at age 68.
Story died unexpectedly, according to a spokeswoman for his family, who declined to provide any further details.
A consummate media insider, Story spent his career orbiting through some of the more influential magazines. In addition to his tenure at Departures, the aptly-named Story worked at Vogue, Esquire, InStyle, and New York magazine. An inveterate traveler and conversationalist, Story understood how the worlds of fashion, luxury and culture collided. More recently, he wrote for Town & Country and penned a column for Graydon Carter’s Air Mail e-newsletter.
Carter said Saturday, “Richard had the essential ingredient required of a great editor – massive curiosity. It carried him through an enviable run at Departures. And having him as our travel guru at Air Mail was nothing short of a blessing.”
Born in Oklahoma City, Story graduated from Northwest Classen High School, where he excelled as a debater. After earning his undergraduate degree from Williams College, he started his editorial career at Reader’s Digest in leafy Purchase, N.Y. From there, Story went on to Travel + Leisure and later to Esquire. At the latter, he met Jennifer Crandall, who became his wife of 31 years.
In 2017, Story exited Departures, the glossy travel and luxury magazine, after 17 years at the helm. His own departure from the title occurred when Time Inc. was the parent company. During…
