Jonathan E. Thackeray, former vice president and general counsel of Hearst Communications Inc., died May 2 in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, according to the media giant. He was 83.

Thackeray spent a decade as Hearst's top lawyer, joining the company in 1993 and retiring in 2003. He arrived at Hearst after serving as outside counsel for Hearst and other mass media companies with a specialty in antitrust law. He also managed the litigation department in the Cleveland office of Baker & Hostetler, the Hearst statement said, where he spent 28 years of his legal career.

The company credits Thackeray for providing legal counsel in 2000 on its purchase of the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper and the sale of the San Francisco Examiner newspaper. He also contributed to increasing Hearst's broadcast business with the Argyle Television merger in 1997. The merger formed Hearst-Argyle Television, a 12-station television company reaching about 12% of U.S. television households at the time. This evolved into the current Hearst Television Inc., which owns and operates 33 television and two radio stations across the U.S., reaching over 21 million U.S. television households.

"Jon had strong legal skills and was an incredibly kind man," said Eve Burton, executive vice president and chief legal officer of Hearst, in the company statement. "His strong moral compass guided Hearst successfully for many years. We will miss his guiding light."

"Jon's impeccable integrity and gift for strategic legal positioning were immensely valued at Hearst," said Frank A. Bennack Jr., executive vice chairman and former CEO of Hearst, who served as CEO during Thackeray's tenure. "His impressive legal career included playing a significant role in many of Hearst's key milestones and acquisitions. Not only will he be remembered for his contributions to Hearst, but he will be recalled as a significant player in his advocacy for the Newspaper Preservation Act that helped extend the life of competing daily newspapers in some American cities for decades."

A 1961 graduate of Harvard Law School, Thackeray graduated first in his class from both Officer Candidate School and the Naval Justice School the next year. He went on to become a legal officer until he was released from active duty as a lieutenant in 1965. He spent most of his service at posts in Japan.

Thackeray is survived by his wife, four children, five grandchildren and his sister. A date for a celebration of life has not been announced. Donations can be made in his honor to the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation.