Guy Kopelowicz, former Paris photo chief for AP, dies at 85

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Guy Kopelowicz, whose distinguished career editing and leading photo coverage for The Associated Press in France lasted more than four decades, has died. He was 85.

A respected fixture in the Paris photo world, Kopelowicz played a key role in AP's coverage of some of the most significant news events of his time — including the Paris uprising of 1968, the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis, multiple Olympic Games, Pope John Paul II’s visit to Lourdes in 1983, the historic 1984 reconciliation meeting of French President François Mitterrand and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in Verdun and the 1998 World Cup.

Born on Oct. 28, 1939, in Paris, Kopelowicz joined the AP in 1964 as a photo editor. He went on to become chief assignment editor before succeeding Mike Nash in 1984 as Paris Chief Photo Editor, a position he held until his retirement in 2005. He died Sunday, just shy of his 86th birthday, his family said.

Before joining the AP, Kopelowicz’s first passion was jazz. From 1957 to 1960, he wrote for Jazz Hot and Jazz Magazine, and after his retirement, he returned to photographing and chronicling jazz performers — even traveling to New York to capture them on stage. His love for jazz endured throughout his life, reflected in his extensive record collection and encyclopedic knowledge of the art form.

Among those Kopelowicz hired was Bertrand Combaldieu, current chief of the AP Paris photo operation. “He was a very good photo editor,” Combaldieu said. “He was known and respected in the profession.”

Kopelowicz was held in high regard by generations of AP photographers that he worked closely with, including Michel Lipchitz, Jacques Brinon, Alexis Duclos, Jacques Langevin, Bodo, Herve Merliac, Michel Laurent (who died in Vietnam), Burhan Ozbilici, Michel Euler, Laurent Rebours, Jerome Delay, Christophe Ena, and many others who passed through the Paris bureau.

Beyond his professional and musical passions, Kopelowicz was known for his appreciation of fine wine, particularly the grands crus of Bordeaux. In rare breaks from the news, Combaldieu recalled sharing wine advice with Kopelowicz, and extolling the virtues of Armagnac.

Kopelowicz is survived by his wife of 55 years, Denise, and their son, Marc.

A memorial service is scheduled Friday at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

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This story has been updated to correct Kopelowicz’s age and birthdate