DEE DePass of the Star Tribune wrote an obituary for Lloyd P. Johnson, who transformed Norwest Bank into a healthy and successful bank that bought Wells Fargo. See obituary here.
DePass used sources such as Johnson's COO and eventual successor Dick Kovacevich, retired Wells Fargo Minnesota President Jim Campbell, Wells Fargo's Current CEO John Stumpf. They had good insight on the story and contributed strong quotes that emphasized Johnson's legacy.
The obituary lead appears to be standard because it gets the reader curious about the legacy Johnson made on Norwest Bank. It doesn't go into detail but rather leaves the audience curious on how Johnson was able to aid the bank.
Johnson's obituary holds news value because without Johnson, Norwest was not likely to have survived. His three simple words, "Control. Profitability. Growth." was his turnaround plan. "It was so basic and so fundamental and exactly was we needed to focus on," Campbell said. Johnson transformed "Norwest from a bank with roughly $20 billion in assets in 1986 to one with $1.4 trillion in assets today." If that wasn't news worthy enough, Johnson designed a 57-floor skyscraper, and his advisory committee selected architect Cesar Pelli to build it in Johnson's legacy.
The obituary is different from a resume because it is not a regurgitation of Johnson's life but rather a detailed explanation of his legacy and impact on the Norwest Bank.
Becca, nice job on this analysis. I think you hit on all the right points.