Deirdre Eitel, 45

 

BOZEMAN, MT (November 3, 2008) – Bozeman Daily Chronicle chief photographer Deirdre Eitel, 45, was found dead Saturday near the Truman Gulch trailhead on the west side of the Bridger Mountains, the newspaper reports.

It is believed she died on Friday, and the Gallatin County sheriff ruled her death a suicide.

Eitel, an NPPA member since 1993, worked at the newspaper for 13 years. She is survived by her husband, Tom, and two children, Morgan, 11, and Pipi, 8, the Chronicle reports.

Starting in 2007 the photographer made three trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan to document the work of the Central Asia Institute, an organization based in Bozeman that builds schools in the remote mountain ranges of those countries.

Eitel freelanced for newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and London Daily Mail, and also shot weddings and portraits. Before the Chronicle, Eitel worked for the Salt Lake Tribune.

Coworkers at the Chronicle said the photographer was a long-distance runner and an avid cross-country skier.

 

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