May 14, 2014 1 min read

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) – Former Times Mirror Co. Chairman Robert F. Erburu, who led the media company through an expansion that included the purchase of paper mills, cable television outlets and a book publisher, has died. He was 83.

The Los Angeles Times reports Erburu died Sunday at his Santa Barbara, California, home. Lois, his wife of 59 years, tells the newspaper her husband had Alzheimer’s disease.

A native Californian, Erburu joined Times Mirror, the parent company of the Times, in 1961 as a legal adviser to then-Chairman Norman Chandler. He rose steadily over the decades, becoming president in 1974, chief executive in 1980 and chairman in 1986.

Erburu oversaw the company at its height in prestige and earnings.

In addition to his wife, Erburu is survived by two children and four grandchildren.