Italy Simpson

FILE - Rome Bureau Chief Victor Simpson, left, shakes hands with Pope Benedict XVI during the flight from Beirut to Rome, Sept. 16, 2012.

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Longtime AP Rome bureau chief Victor Simpson, who covered 5 popes, dies at 84

Longtime AP Rome bureau chief Victor Simpson, who covered 5 popes, dies at 84

Victor L. Simpson, a longtime Rome bureau chief for The Associated Press, has died at 84. His family said Monday that he died of cancer at his home in Rome. Simpson's 46-year career spanned five popes and major global events. He covered stories from the 1967 Newark, New Jersey, race riots to the papacy of Pope John Paul II. A native New Yorker, he joined AP in 1967 and became Rome bureau chief in 2005. His life was marked by personal tragedies, including the killing of his daughter by Palestinian militants who atacked Rome's airport in 1985. Simpson was known for his storytelling and dedication to journalism.