Roland Weeks Jr. was a leader among leaders, a man who cared deeply about the Mississippi Gulf Coast and helped shape the region through his 33-year stewardship as publisher of the regional newspaper, The Daily Herald and its successor, the Sun Herald.

Weeks died Saturday at age 89.

Weeks, who lived in Biloxi with wife Sharon Weeks, retired in 2001 as publisher, president and general manager of the Sun Herald. He remained active in the community, continued his adventures as a pilot and served for many years as a volunteer for the Salvation Army in Gulfport, showing up weekly to wash clothes for the homeless.

“He was just this unflinching friend to so many people,” said Ricky Mathews of Biloxi, who spent many years working under Weeks and succeeded him in the publisher’s job before his o

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