Providence Journal remembers retired writer who fell from bridge in Milwaukee

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Providence Journal said Tuesday that a man who tragically died after falling off a bridge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wrote for the paper.

Richard Dujardin, 77, was crossing the bridge Monday when it suddenly began to rise when he was halfway across.

Milwaukee authorities believe Dujardin didn’t notice the bridge’s lights and bells going off, saying he was hard of hearing. He tried to hang on to a railing, but fell to his death.

Dujardin was a writer at the journal for 47 years, according to the paper.

“Those of us at the Providence Journal who knew Dick Dujardin, our longtime religion writer, remember him as a low-key guy, always with a bit of a smile, smoking a pipe when that was still allowed, a man without ego in a business where that’s rare,” the journal wrote in an article.

In his time at the journal, Dujardin covered stories from Saddam Hussein invading Kuwait and the closing of the Episcopal cathedral.

“Richard retired in 2013, but loved attending monthly lunches among Journal retirees, and reading the paper’s ‘E-edition’ print replica on his iPad,” said the journal.

Dujardin left behind his wife Rose-Marie and six children.