Randolph E. Schmid, AP science writer with light touch, dies

By WILL LESTER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A retired Associated Press science writer, Randolph E. Schmid, who seldom missed a chance to add a whimsical touch to his authoritative stories, has died. Schmid was 78 when he died Sunday at a nursing home in Falls Church, Virginia. His AP colleagues recall him as a skilled reporter who could find a simple way to present complicated subjects. Another AP science writer, Seth Borenstein, wrote for Schmid’s retirement in 2011 that “a hallmark of a Schmid story is the light touch, brevity, a pun if possible, and above all speed.”