Menu
Gary Wayne Rust
Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech lauded those who take on challenges, shoulder responsibility, dare to excel.
Gary Wayne Rust of Cape Girardeau demonstrated that visionary character.
He was born May 25, 1935. He died Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, of natural causes. He was 89.
Though he worked in the family furniture retailing business (Rust & Martin) early in his career, Rust cut his entrepreneurial teeth with the company he founded in 1967, Rust Communications.
Beginning with one weekly newspaper in Cape Girardeau County, he steered the company for decades, growing it to include several dozen newspaper properties across eight states (including the Fort Scott and Nevada, Mo.) and interests in nearly 20 radio stations. Its flagship is the Southeast Missourian, and Rust served as chairman until nearly the end of his life. Several of his inspirational and explanatory quotes adorn the Southeast Missourian building, located at 301 Broadway.
Newspaper associations across the country honored him for his pioneering work in the industry — 1999 Suburban Newspapers of America Dean Lesher Award, 2002 Inland Press Association Ralph D. Casey Award and 2003 induction to the Missouri Press Association Newspaper Hall of Fame. He served as chairman of the Missouri Associated Press Editors and Publishers and was a national board member of Certified Audit of Circulation, Suburban Newspapers Association and Inland Press Association and Foundation.
Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau, former state senator and lieutenant governor, worked for Rust on the editorial side of the business. He praised Rust’s thirst for knowledge and hard work.
“He wanted to lay facts before the public and make sure the public was informed so the public could make good decisions,” he explained. “That was his passion in that portion of his career, and he made an enormous difference.”
Kinder recalled Rust’s efforts to grow the community.
“He wanted to help business in our area. He wanted to help businesswomen and businessmen, large and small, to grow their business by telling their stories in the pages of his newspapers,” he said.
Kinder said Rust’s hard work and ingenuity served him well in the news media industry.
“The extent to which he outlasted other competition is legendary, not only in Missouri but nationwide,” he noted. “He wrote an incredible series of chapters in the newspaper industry.”
His service with civic and business organizations — locally, regionally and statewide — spanned decades. From performing with Cape Girardeau Municipal Band and Cape Choraliers to serving as president of Cape Girardeau Jaycees (Distinguished Service Award and 1959 Young Man of the Year) and local parent/teachers association, Rust touched many lives in countless ways. A member of the Missouri Hall of Fame, he earned the 1960 State of Missouri Junior Chamber of Commerce Young Man of the Year Award, 2002 Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Rush H. Limbaugh Award, Dr. David P. Crowe Award for Inspirational Service to Autism and Missouri State Missourian Award for Outstanding Contributions to Business, Civic or Arts. There are few boards or foundations or committees in and around Cape Girardeau he did not serve on at one time or another.
If the Rust name sounds familiar, one reason is that the name adorns a number of buildings in the area, earned through service and commitment (financial and otherwise) to various organizations. The president’s house on the Southeast Missouri State University campus is the Rust House, and an off-campus facility for communications students is the Rust Media Center. A performance hall on the university’s River Campus is the Wendy Kurka Rust Flexible Theatre. Teen Challenge named a gym for the family. Dempster Business Hall includes a Rust presentation room.
Jay Knudtson, former mayor and longtime friend, noted Rust’s community involvement.
“While the Boards and committees he was involved in were immense, it was the groups that he was involved with ‘behind the scenes’ and out of the public eye that was even more impressive,” he said. “Gary had a true love and passion for the guy or gal that was down on their luck and both Gary and Wendy worked tirelessly to give those folks a hand up. There was perhaps no better example of that than their total and complete support of the young men trying to turn their lives around at Teen Challenge. I have vivid memories of him telling stories of the lives that were changing as a result of this program and Gary and Wendy were ‘all in’ when it came to supporting Teen Challenge.”
Watts agreed, noting Rust’s generosity and work outside the limelight.
“He did not seek nor desire any type of acclaim for his good deeds. He was constantly giving in a ‘behind the scenes’ way,” he said. “He was deeply generous toward our church and the university. Teen Challenge, as well. He was one of the great pillars of Cape Girardeau.”