Longtime Detroit Free Press writer Judy Rose dies at 82

Yahoo

19-02-2025

Judy Rose, a longtime journalist for the Detroit Free Press who worked in sports and features and later built a reputation for her knowledge of Michigan architecture and home design, died Feb. 15 from complications after a stroke. She was 82.
Born Judith Ann Beale in Detroit, she was known affectionately to many as 'Judyrose.'
Her family moved to Indiana when she was young, and then to Jackson, Michigan, where she graduated from St. John High School (now only an elementary school), earning grades high enough to be class valedictorian but she did not get that honor because, according to daughter Corinne Rose, the title was reserved for boys. But gender did not stop her from the career she wanted.
'As a teen, Mom dreamed of being a reporter, though there were no female role models in that position,' Corrine Rose said.
She attended Michigan State University, where she met her first husband, Robin Rose, and shortly after college, landed her dream job as a reporter at the Detroit News.
At the time, women were limited to writing for the features section — covering such topics as fashion and cooking.
She was forced to leave that job when she could no longer conceal her first pregnancy, as many workplaces at the time prohibited pregnant women from working (before the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 changed industry standards). But she pursued her dream of writing despite societal constraints.
The experience formed her attitude toward community and parenting. As a feminist and advocate for equality, Rose would go on to take her daughters to protest marches and even let them skip school to attend Detroit Tigers home openers, Corinne Rose said.
And while she and her husband ultimately divorced, she kept the name Rose as she had already begun establishing herself professionally.
Rose also taught journalism at Wayne State University and worked in public relations for the Michigan State Fair.
Rose began her career at the Free Press as a copy editor in the sports department before transitioning to the features department.
'Judy spent two decades in the features department of the Free Press, quickly establishing herself as Detroit's ultimate homes expert. She covered houses inside and out, writing about design and house building as well as real estate matters," said Dale Parry, former Detroit Free Press features editor.
"In 1997, she was instrumental in the development and launch of the Free Press Real Estate section, which quickly grew to two entire sections on Sundays and a third on Fridays — an unprecedented topical focus. Readers loved Judy's practical knowledge and authoritative reporting,' Parry said.
Rose retired from the Detroit Free Press in 2003. Reflecting on her retirement, she told Parry, 'I didn't expect Freep folks to take this as a bad thing. When you're older, you assume your bosses are just wishing you'd step aside so they can hire someone for $20,000 less."
Even after retirement, Rose continued sharing her passion for unique homes as a freelancer, writing the 'Michigan House Envy' column until November 2021.
'She was a joy, with an enthusiastic love for interesting homes and stories,' said Dan Elsea, president of Brokerage Services of Real Estate One Family of Companies. 'Judy was the first person many of our agents thought of with any of their interesting homes.'
Colleagues at the Free Press remember her for her kindness, wisdom, infectious laugh, and love of language.
Former Free Press travel writer Ellen Creager recalled that Rose, an elegant writer who understood the meaning of nuance, found joy in spotting and sharing quirky phrases that often had humorous or double meanings. She and a small group of Free Press writers in the features section often scanned the wires for lists of features stories and shared ones with the funniest summary headlines, which had been shortened into some odd phrases for space.
"Judy could spot the most hilarious headlines,' Creager remembered. "One of them I remember was 'Portable Goats.' Who knows what the actual story was about?'
Her sharp wit was also evident in her spirited exchanges with colleagues. Creager recalls one of her favorite lines about homeowners' decorating: "They had a champagne budget and beer taste."
Mick McCabe, a Free Press sports reporter, recalled that there were few women in sports journalism in the 1970s, but Rose was well-liked in the department.
'She had a very likable personality and got along with everybody, even me, which is saying a lot," McCabe said. "She was one of us. An excellent part of the team.'
Former Free Press Sports Editor Gene Myers fondly remembers Rose's time on the copy desk in sports.
"She had a bear of a time staying awake until the last edition went in around 1:30 a.m.," he said, noting the good-natured teasing from colleagues when her daughter would call with playful stories.
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Free Press columnist Neal Rubin remembers the mid-1980s when Rose co-owned a rotisserie baseball team (an offshoot of fantasy baseball) with the late Mike Downey. The team was humorously named "Broadway Downey Rose," inspired by a Woody Allen movie about bumbling theatrical agent Danny Rose.
'We went on so many assignments together,' recalled Patricia Beck, a former Free Press photographer. 'I loved working with her and learning. And we had such fun. We both loved gardening.'
In the early 1980s, Rose met and married fellow journalist Jon Lowell, who wrote for the Detroit News, and later for Newsweek. The couple shared 34 years together until Lowell's passing in 2016.
Rose's love of food, cooking, and spending time with family and friends was central to her life. She enjoyed watching the Detroit Lions, listening to epic Italian opera, and tending to her beloved garden.
As a Free Press staffer who considered Rose a mentor, I have a special memory of Rose helping me choose the right flowers and trees after I purchased my first home. She gave me a tree as a housewarming gift, one that still stands and serves as a reminder of her every time I pass it.
She was surrounded by family and loved ones at the time of her passing, Corinne Rose said.
In addition to Corinne Rose (John DeKoker), she is survived by daughter Christy Rose (Michael Hall); stepson Brad Lowell (Melissa Andrade); sisters Janet Beale Cassise (Frank Cassise) and Susan Beale; grandchildren Eli Lowell, John 'Jack' DeKoker, Will DeKoker and Addy Lowell and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jon Lowell; stepdaughter Dominique Lowell; parents Ruth and Bert Beale, and brother-in-law Martin Magid.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to Inside Out Literary Arts to support young writers in Detroit.
Free Press staff writer Susan Tompor contributed to this report.
Brendel Hightower writes about real estate and other topics for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at [e-mail]. Support local journalism: Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Longtime Detroit Free Press writer Judy Rose dies at 82