Longtime Associated Press photo editor Madge Stager dies at 61 of pneumonia, flu complications

Madge Stager, a former New York-based photo editor for The Associated Press who helped direct coverage of the biggest stories around the world over four decades, has died. She was 61.

Her husband says Stager died at a New York hospital on Saturday of pneumonia and complications from the flu.

Stager, who retired from the AP in 2009, assisted photojournalists in chronicling the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, numerous Olympic Games and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Former AP President and General Manager Lou Boccardi said Stager's "skills and quick wit made her a well-known presence throughout the photo system."

A memorial service was planned for a later date.