Funds Columnist Chet Currier, 1945-2007

by Peter Schacknow, CNBC Senior Producer

Financial journalism can be a complicated business. When you’re immersed in it, it’s sometimes easy to forget that you need to present your viewers, listeners and readers with material that’s clear, concise and accessible.

Chet Currier never forgot.

Chet -- one of the best financial columnists ever to put words to paper -- passed away this past weekend at the age of 62.

I had the privilege of working with Chet for 7-1/2 years at Bloomberg News, and read his investment columns for years before that, when he worked for the Associated Press.

Talking investments with him was like inviting your favorite uncle to dinner for a chat. He came on our radio show quite often, and no matter what subject he was addressing, you always walked away with several gems of advice and the feeling that your portfolio would be perfectly fine -- if you just gave it an extra moment or two of thought.

Chet could address any financial subject with the utmost intelligence, yet was incapable of making his audience feel that he was speaking over their heads.

Spending time with Chet was always a great investment. We’ll miss him.