Combining ‘widow’ and ‘late’ redundant

I always read the Inquirer and I often see the mistake of your reporters in using the words “widow” and “late.”

Look at the report titled “Mom knows best, declares Mar running in Palace race” (Front Page, 5/31/15): “The widow of the late Sen. Gerardo Roxas (underscoring supplied) is known to be a pivotal player in all of her son’s previous political campaigns but she stays behind the scene.”

“Widow” is a woman whose husband has died while “late” means dead. To use both in the context shown above is redundant. It should have been: “The widow of Sen. Gerardo Roxas” or “the wife of the late Sen. Gerardo Roxas.” My professor in journalism before taught our class about it.

More power to you and your newspaper and may the good Lord bless and keep you.

—CONRADO C. FERNANDEZ, Bagumbong, Caloocan City

Mr. Fernandez, thank you for pointing out to us our mistake. We learned by our mistakes. Keep spotting them for us, please.—Ed.