Pedro Comas. | Joan Torres

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Pedro Comas Barceló, editorial director of Ultima Hora and the paper's editor for thirty years, passed away on Tuesday following a painful illness.

The relationship between Pedro Comas and Ultima Hora goes back to 1972, when he was doing military service and studying law. The atmosphere of the newsroom and the world of news captivated him to such an extent that he started to study journalism at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

When Pere A. Serra became the owner and editor of Ultima Hora in 1975, the figure of Pedro Comas began to emerge. He endowed the newsroom with order and criteria that had been conspicuous by their absence. Over a period of just six years, Ultima Hora ceased to be a paper with low circulation; it became the market leader in the Balearics.

Pere Serra appreciated that the role of Pedro Comas had been decisive, and so in 1984 he was appointed editor. He devoted the next thirty years, body and soul, to the newspaper, achieving record circulation levels.

Upon leaving the management in 2014, by when he was 62, his ties with Ultima Hora did not weaken. He continued to seek out news and to advise the management team.

He was married to Ana Morro, who was the manager of Ultima Hora facilities. Without her, his dedication to the newspaper would not have been possible.

His passing has caused great sadness in all divisions of Grup Serra and it brings to an end one of the most brilliant chapters in the history of the press in the Balearics. Pedro Comas leaves behind a legion of friends and a recognition, by those who worked alongside him, of a legacy of quality work that endures.