Elaine Zaun Ogden, 66, Inquirer desk assistant

Elaine Zaun Ogden, 66, of Lindenwold, a former editorial assistant on the Inquirer's sports desk, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma Sunday, Jan. 15, at Virtua Marlton Hospital.

Born in Camden, Mrs. Ogden graduated in 1968 from Haddon Heights High School.

Married in 1969, her son, Mark, said, "after high school she had done some computer training with punch cards" and in the early 1970s worked for a car dealership near her home in Williamstown.

After a few other jobs, her son said, she began her work at the Inquirer in the 1980s and continued until taking a buyout a year before the paper moved in July 2012 from its tower building at Broad and Callowhill Streets to 801 Market St.

"She did the box scores" for the sports pages, he said, "and took a lot of pride in it."

And, he said, "she would always volunteer to go" to help cover the Penn Relays.

Charlene Ogden, Mark's wife, wrote about her mother-in-law for her obituary that she "wore her title with pride," as someone whom the sports desk relied on.

"She would bring home little notepads for her grandchildren," pads on which reporters took notes, "so they could pretend they were reporters."

And, she wrote, Mrs. Ogden "would tell them all the latest news and sports trivia."

Lou Rabito, an editor who worked closely with Mrs. Ogden, recalled her as a person with "a heart of gold."

"The No. 1 memory I have of her is not how much she did for the Inquirer - even though she did a lot - but for the blanket she knitted for my newborn daughter Lauren when I became a father more than 25 years ago," said Rabito, who is now a managing producer for sports at philly.com, the Inquirer and Daily News website. "We tend to get caught up in our jobs a lot in this business, which makes a personal touch like hers really stand out."

Said her son: "She was a complex person, like most of us. She had her struggles, but always had a smile and a kind word for anyone."

Besides her son and daughter-in-law, Mrs. Ogden is survived by her mother, Lois; two brothers; granddaughter Faith; and grandson Lee. She is also survived by her former husband, Ronald Ogden.

A visitation was set from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at Foster-Warne Funeral Home, 250 White Horse Pike, Audubon, before an 11 a.m. memorial service there, with 12:30 p.m. inurnment in Lakeview Memorial Park, Cinnaminson.

"She will be buried next to her father, Harry Zaun, a composing room foreman, a lifelong printer" at the Inquirer, "who passed away last year," her son said.

Donations may be sent to the American Cancer Society, 1851 Old Cuthbert Rd., Cherry Hill, N.J. 08034.

Condolences may be offered to the family at fosterwarnefuneralhomme.com.

wnaedele@phillynews.com

610-313-8134 @WNaedele