A Personal Remembrance (with some help from Michael's many friends):
We humans, it’s said, are the only creatures who can perceive the future. It can be a wonderful trait – until that time when we must face the idea of life without a friend as dear and special as Michael Rose. It is then, perhaps, our ability to recall the past and bring back to life the memories of such a friend that will help us move forward. And so, even as we mourn we must celebrate a life well lived, one that has touched an astounding number of people in so many positive ways.
By now, you have likely heard that Michael lost his ongoing battle with leukemia earlier this month, though not without a brave fight. Even as one saw the ravages the disease took over a lengthy illness, it was rare to hear a complaint – unless it was followed by a classically self-deprecating joke and Michael’s distinctive laugh. To the very end, nothing slowed him down. If you wanted to find him, odds were he’d be in the converted garage behind his home in Los Angeles plugging away at his latest book, video or film project.
If you were a stranger reading Michael’s CV, it would be impressive enough: both a Bachelor’s Degree in history and Master’s from UCLA in film and the fine arts. He put them to good use over the decades, rolling out an astounding array of productions significant not just for their volume but their breadth and depth, covering everything from the world’s greatest cars to the real story of Elvis Presley.
“Storytelling has been my passion since college where I discovered the power of media to make social change,” Michael himself wrote on Linked-In, recalling a film school project that helped trigger an investigation into a secret nuclear reactor meltdown that threatened the lives of countless Americans. “What I’ve learned is the power of a story, like radiation, can have a long half-life.”
These days, as anyone with a subscription to Netflix knows, there are plenty of folks who call themselves “documentarians.” Michael took that to a different level, blending both an uncanny ear for a good story, an eye for dramatic visuals and a deep social conscience. It was that commitment to the good of society that came through in so many ways and which created a special bond between Michael and his wife Carol King. We often talk about “soul mates,” but if one needed to illustrate that term, surely it would be with their pictures.
For myself, I can’t quite recall when I met Michael. I knew Carol first, both in a professional role, I as a journalist, she a nationally respected leader of the women’s movement. What I do remember is that when Michael and I, two only children, met it was if I had found a brother by a different mother. As one ages, loss becomes a part of life and, at some point, time is marked more by the passing of those you know than by weddings and births. But some departures touch home in a way that you know will leave a personal gap in your soul. And that is what I feel with Michael’s passing.
I surely am not alone. As word quickly streamed out over social media hundreds weighed in with tears, sadness and, perhaps most importantly, their memories of Michael. Here is a sample of what they will remember.
“I met Michael through Carol in the early 1980s,” recalls Monica Smiley, then the president of Michigan NOW. “I remember Michael then as today with a wonderful sense of humor, a deep knowledge of so many topics, a keen eye for his film work, an appreciation for history, the ability to tell a story in person and in film, and a kind heart. We all know that Carol is loving, feisty and deeply committed to her beliefs, and Michael was her match. They stood by each other through thick and thin. I am so glad that Michael and Carol were partners, and that I had the chance to be considered a friend for more than 40 years. I will never forget Michael.”
In 1979, Skip Arnold was a fellow student at UCLA who landed an internship to assist Michael who was, at the time, working on his Master’s degree. There were “too many exploits” to count, recalls Arnold who now lives in France, but he had the good fortune to assist Michael when he broke the story of the leaking nuclear reactor on the campus of UCLA – a real-life version of the film, The China Syndrome.
“Michael wrote the story, the students in the copywriting program laid out Michael’s text, the camera department took my photo documentation and the layout students laid out a 4-page exposé of the situation that was causing the power plant to release toxins in the air. Within one-week Michael had a 4-page newspaper (hundreds of them) and put them at people's doorsteps and mail boxes, stores, etc. It was a giant success. The UCLA plant was exposed and shut down,” Arnold wrote from Paris.
Michael went on to uncover a 1959 partial meltdown of the Santa Susanna Field Laboratory, a nuclear reactor in Simi Valley, California, and ocean disposal of radioactive materials. As a student, Michael’s researching skills were legendary and he taught others how to ferret out the most relevant and important.
“Michael was the best researcher I have ever known. He had the ability to uncover extraordinary stories and bring them to the light of day and he was able to teach many others these extraordinarily important skills,” said Dan Hirsch, who continues to use the skills he learned from Michael today.
Where most folks might find their eyes crossing as they try to dig through the National Archives, local libraries and foundation record, Michael thrilled at working through mountains of bureaucratic jargon to find the gold buried inside, synthesize it, and find a way to get it out to the public. As a journalist, I was always astounded at the number of sources he searched, what he uncovered, and how he put it all together.
One of the first people to respond to news of Michael’s death was Edwin Stepp, fellow documentary filmmaker. He said, “Michael was a great friend and mentor to me and many others in the documentary business. He was one of the most brilliant people I have ever met but his life and legacy won't be remembered primarily by his intelligence and his commitment to excellence, but by his warm and gracious heart, his profound humor, smile and laughter along with his kindness and willingness to help anyone who was committed to great storytelling combined with impact on the issues that mattered the most.”
"So sad to learn this morning of the passing of one of the good guys. Michael Rose,” Aileen Vance wrote in a remembrance, “a film maker, photo and history archivist, a gardener, a loving life partner to Carol [Carol King, a legend and force in her own right and in collaboration with him], a warm and loyal friend, a truth teller, a seeker, a person who helped connect other people with each other...always engaged in life, always trying to do the right thing, to stand on the side of justice."
Michael, added Aileen, “was a great friend and mentor to me and many others in the documentary business. He was one of the most brilliant people I have ever met but his life and legacy won't be remembered primarily by his intelligence and his commitment to excellence, but by his warm and gracious heart, his profound humor, smile and laughter along with his kindness and willingness to help anyone who was committed to great storytelling combined with impact on the issues that mattered the most.”
These words are being echoed over and over by those who were lucky enough to have met and spent time with Michael Rose. His passing leaves us all with an empty space. But the memories of his love, kindness and compassion, never mind his incredible talents, help fill that void. Michael will not be forgotten.
Please stay tuned for word on a memorial service that will follow when the coronavirus pandemic makes it possible.
We humans, it’s said, are the only creatures who can perceive the future. It can be a wonderful trait – until that time when we must face the idea of life without a friend as dear and special as Michael Rose. It is then, perhaps, our ability to recall the past and bring back to life the memories of such a friend that will help us move forward. And so, even as we mourn we must celebrate a life well lived, one that has touched an astounding number of people in so many positive ways.
By now, you have likely heard that Michael lost his ongoing battle with leukemia earlier this month, though not without a brave fight. Even as one saw the ravages the disease took over a lengthy illness, it was rare to hear a complaint – unless it was followed by a classically self-deprecating joke and Michael’s distinctive laugh. To the very end, nothing slowed him down. If you wanted to find him, odds were he’d be in the converted garage behind his home in Los Angeles plugging away at his latest book, video or film project.
If you were a stranger reading Michael’s CV, it would be impressive enough: both a Bachelor’s Degree in history and Master’s from UCLA in film and the fine arts. He put them to good use over the decades, rolling out an astounding array of productions significant not just for their volume but their breadth and depth, covering everything from the world’s greatest cars to the real story of Elvis Presley.
“Storytelling has been my passion since college where I discovered the power of media to make social change,” Michael himself wrote on Linked-In, recalling a film school project that helped trigger an investigation into a secret nuclear reactor meltdown that threatened the lives of countless Americans. “What I’ve learned is the power of a story, like radiation, can have a long half-life.”
These days, as anyone with a subscription to Netflix knows, there are plenty of folks who call themselves “documentarians.” Michael took that to a different level, blending both an uncanny ear for a good story, an eye for dramatic visuals and a deep social conscience. It was that commitment to the good of society that came through in so many ways and which created a special bond between Michael and his wife Carol King. We often talk about “soul mates,” but if one needed to illustrate that term, surely it would be with their pictures.
For myself, I can’t quite recall when I met Michael. I knew Carol first, both in a professional role, I as a journalist, she a nationally respected leader of the women’s movement. What I do remember is that when Michael and I, two only children, met it was if I had found a brother by a different mother. As one ages, loss becomes a part of life and, at some point, time is marked more by the passing of those you know than by weddings and births. But some departures touch home in a way that you know will leave a personal gap in your soul. And that is what I feel with Michael’s passing.
I surely am not alone. As word quickly streamed out over social media hundreds weighed in with tears, sadness and, perhaps most importantly, their memories of Michael. Here is a sample of what they will remember.
“I met Michael through Carol in the early 1980s,” recalls Monica Smiley, then the president of Michigan NOW. “I remember Michael then as today with a wonderful sense of humor, a deep knowledge of so many topics, a keen eye for his film work, an appreciation for history, the ability to tell a story in person and in film, and a kind heart. We all know that Carol is loving, feisty and deeply committed to her beliefs, and Michael was her match. They stood by each other through thick and thin. I am so glad that Michael and Carol were partners, and that I had the chance to be considered a friend for more than 40 years. I will never forget Michael.”
In 1979, Skip Arnold was a fellow student at UCLA who landed an internship to assist Michael who was, at the time, working on his Master’s degree. There were “too many exploits” to count, recalls Arnold who now lives in France, but he had the good fortune to assist Michael when he broke the story of the leaking nuclear reactor on the campus of UCLA – a real-life version of the film, The China Syndrome.
“Michael wrote the story, the students in the copywriting program laid out Michael’s text, the camera department took my photo documentation and the layout students laid out a 4-page exposé of the situation that was causing the power plant to release toxins in the air. Within one-week Michael had a 4-page newspaper (hundreds of them) and put them at people's doorsteps and mail boxes, stores, etc. It was a giant success. The UCLA plant was exposed and shut down,” Arnold wrote from Paris.
Michael went on to uncover a 1959 partial meltdown of the Santa Susanna Field Laboratory, a nuclear reactor in Simi Valley, California, and ocean disposal of radioactive materials. As a student, Michael’s researching skills were legendary and he taught others how to ferret out the most relevant and important.
“Michael was the best researcher I have ever known. He had the ability to uncover extraordinary stories and bring them to the light of day and he was able to teach many others these extraordinarily important skills,” said Dan Hirsch, who continues to use the skills he learned from Michael today.
Where most folks might find their eyes crossing as they try to dig through the National Archives, local libraries and foundation record, Michael thrilled at working through mountains of bureaucratic jargon to find the gold buried inside, synthesize it, and find a way to get it out to the public. As a journalist, I was always astounded at the number of sources he searched, what he uncovered, and how he put it all together.
One of the first people to respond to news of Michael’s death was Edwin Stepp, fellow documentary filmmaker. He said, “Michael was a great friend and mentor to me and many others in the documentary business. He was one of the most brilliant people I have ever met but his life and legacy won't be remembered primarily by his intelligence and his commitment to excellence, but by his warm and gracious heart, his profound humor, smile and laughter along with his kindness and willingness to help anyone who was committed to great storytelling combined with impact on the issues that mattered the most.”
"So sad to learn this morning of the passing of one of the good guys. Michael Rose,” Aileen Vance wrote in a remembrance, “a film maker, photo and history archivist, a gardener, a loving life partner to Carol [Carol King, a legend and force in her own right and in collaboration with him], a warm and loyal friend, a truth teller, a seeker, a person who helped connect other people with each other...always engaged in life, always trying to do the right thing, to stand on the side of justice."
Michael, added Aileen, “was a great friend and mentor to me and many others in the documentary business. He was one of the most brilliant people I have ever met but his life and legacy won't be remembered primarily by his intelligence and his commitment to excellence, but by his warm and gracious heart, his profound humor, smile and laughter along with his kindness and willingness to help anyone who was committed to great storytelling combined with impact on the issues that mattered the most.”
These words are being echoed over and over by those who were lucky enough to have met and spent time with Michael Rose. His passing leaves us all with an empty space. But the memories of his love, kindness and compassion, never mind his incredible talents, help fill that void. Michael will not be forgotten.
Please stay tuned for word on a memorial service that will follow when the coronavirus pandemic makes it possible.