Former Stars and Stripes editor David Mazzarella, whose newspaper career spanned 45 years as a reporter, editor and executive, died Thursday from complications of a fall, his obituary said.

Mazzarella, 87, served as both editorial director and ombudsman for Stars and Stripes from 2000-2009. Prior to that, he spent five years as the editor of USA Today.

“Dave’s commitment to Stars and Stripes was profound,” publisher Max Lederer said in a statement Monday. “He served two terms as its congressionally directed Ombudsman, and in a critical moment, stepped in as Editorial Director during a personnel crisis.”

As ombudsman, Mazzarella raised awareness about the complexities faced by a First Amendment news organization operating within the U.S. government, Lederer said.

And during his time as editorial director, he stabilized operations and championed Stars and Stripes’ “foundational principles of fair, impartial, and objective journalism,” Lederer said.

“His lasting legacy will be felt for decades to come, and his absence is deeply felt,” Lederer said.

Between 2001 and 2007, Mazzarella held the top editor position at Stripes, leading a team of reporters and editors during a period when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dominated the news. That meant frequently sending journalists into combat zones to cover troops in action.

Mazzarella also did two stints as ombudsman for the paper, before and after serving as editorial director. As the ombudsman, he was responsible for ensuring Stars and Stripes operated free from outside pressure or interference from military officials.

“My tenure as editorial director lasted longer than anticipated,” Mazzarella said in 2006 after announcing his retirement. “But it has been one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs I have ever held because of the important role the newspaper plays in the lives of America’s service members, particularly those in harm’s way in the Middle East.”

Mazzarella, who was born in Newark, N.J., got his journalism start as a 19-year-old reporter at the weekly Cape May County Gazette, according to his obituary. After graduating from Rutgers University, he joined The Associated Press at its Newark bureau in 1962, earning $84 a week.

He later worked for the AP in Rome, covering everything from the Vatican to political and natural disasters, his obituary said. After numerous other overseas assignments, he joined the Gannett News Service in Washington. He later led other daily New Jersey newspapers as editor.

In 1994, Mazzarella became the top editor at USA Today, holding that position until 1999.

He is survived by his wife, Christine Wells, a former senior vice president of the Freedom Forum, according to his obituary.

He also is survived by three daughters from his first marriage, Laura Mazzarella, Julie Geredien and Lilianna Mazzarella; and his two grandchildren, Sarah and Max Eichorn.