Dietrich College News

Alum Jeff Zaslow (DC'80) sat with students in the Gladys Schmitt Center within the English Department's Creative Writing Program.

February 2012

Obituary: Alumnus Jeffrey Zaslow, Co-Author of “The Last Lecture”

Best-selling author, longtime Wall Street Journal columnist and Carnegie Mellon alumnus Jeffrey Zaslow (DC'80) died Friday, Feb. 10 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident in northern Michigan. He was 53.

Zaslow, who majored in Creative Writing, may be best remembered at Carnegie Mellon for co-authoring "The Last Lecture" with the late CMU Computer Science Professor Randy Pausch. After driving 300 miles from Detroit to Pittsburgh to attend Pausch's now world-famous presentation in CMU's McConomy Auditorium, Zaslow wrote about it poignantly and memorably in his widely read Wall Street Journal column, "Moving On."

His column and a video of the lecture was posted on the Wall Street Journal website and it went viral. The book followed, drawing on the lecture and interviews between Zaslow and Pausch — some 53 cell phone conversations during Pausch's daily bike rides. The Last Lecture was on bestseller lists for more than a year and it has been translated into more than 40 languages.

Zaslow was dedicated to CMU and its students. He became an annual speaker during CMU's freshman orientation activities, speaking about his days writing the book with Pausch, the lessons he learned from the experience and his student days at CMU. He also frequently visited classes to speak with students. In 2009, he received a Distinguished Service Award from the Alumni Association.

Zaslow also authored "Highest Duty," a book about airline pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who safely landed a jetliner in the Hudson River in New York City after birds damaged the jet's engines. He also was a contributor to "Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope," which chronicles the recovery of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords after she was tragically shot at a political gathering in Tucson, Ariz. His most recent book, "The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters," was published this past December.

"We are deeply saddened by the death of Jeff Zaslow, a loyal Carnegie Mellon alumnus who made the stories of Randy Pausch, Gabby Giffords and many others touchstones of comfort, inspiration and humor," said Carnegie Mellon President Jared L. Cohon. "Through his gift for storytelling and through his life, Jeff influenced many of us. He visited campus often to share the important lessons learned from Randy's Last Lecture with our students. Carnegie Mellon mourns his loss."

"Jeff Zaslow was an example of what a talented, passionate, energetic individual armed with a Carnegie Mellon education can bring to the world," said John Lehoczky, dean of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. "Jeff’s professional contributions — from the Last Lecture phenomenon and his other enormously important and successful books to his work as a journalist — have inspired millions of people. He continued to play an important role with our students, often visiting classes and sharing his experiences. He will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with his wife, Sherry Margolis, and their three children."

Chris Neuwirth, head of CMU's English Department, said Zaslow was a friend of the English Department through his generous giving and by sharing his experiences with students on numerous occasions. Neuwirth said there is one episode Zaslow recounted that she will continue to share with her students.

"When the Wall Street Journal assigned Jeff to write about the Chicago-Sun Times' search for a replacement for Ann Landers, a lesser reporter would have defined it as a mundane, routine assignment; Jeff took a completely innovative approach and applied for the job himself — and got it! I tell this story to our current students in the hopes that they will be inspired to be as creative as Jeff in the pursuit of a story and to seize life's opportunities as they come along," Neuwirth said.

"Jeff Zaslow brought a deep sense of empathy and caring to all that he wrote," said Jim Daniels, the Thomas Stockham Baker Professor of English. "His curiosity about and engagement with individual lives are traits I hope to instill in all of my writing students. Despite all of his success, he never forgot his connections to the creative writing program, and he continued to be active in the Carnegie Mellon community. Jeff was generous and supportive, funny and down-to-earth, and he touched so many lives around the world with his writing that his work will have impact on generations to come."

Sharon Dilworth, associate professor of English, has similar memories about Zaslow’s kindness. “Jeff Zaslow was so generous with his time and his talent,” she said. “One of the last ntimes he came to campus, he sat and talked with my students much longer than he should have – he was late for his next meeting on campus. He shared with them his approach to writing –he talked about this crazy assignment he did for the Tartan when he was a student here. He talked about where he found ideas for writing and how he developed them.”

Dilworth continued, “I remember he told us that he read about the Randy Pausch lecture while he was at home and he drove from Detroit, because the lecture and the circumstances about Professor Pausch sounded so intriguing to him and because that's what writers did -- went after a story when they felt a spark. He told them they could find stories everywhere in their lives if only there were open and curious and dedicated to their craft. He was enthusiastic and spontaneous but it was his generosity of spirit and love of writing that he exuded. I am really sad for his family and for us, who won't have the opportunity to learn from him again.”

“Jeff was in my Survey of Forms: Poetry class his sophomore year, and the week that sonnets were due, he wrote one every night for eight nights – they were all publishable quality,” said Gerald Costanzo, professor of English and founder and director of CMU Press. “He was great – one of the better students I ever had at Carnegie Mellon in 42 years. He remained a friend and was a terrific writer and even better person.”

Zaslow was editor of the Tartan, CMU's student newspaper, during his undergraduate days at the university.

"As editor of the Tartan, I learned a great deal about journalism. More importantly, I saw all these special and gifted kids, from drama, from engineering — I learned about the vast array of talented people out there in the world," Zaslow said in a story that appeared on CMU's website.

“I never met Jeff, but I do recall that in the year that he was Editor of the Tartan in the early 80's, I believe, I was so impressed with its quality, especially his editorials, that I sent him a note right before he graduated, just complementing him on his excellent writing and professional skills,” said David Klahr, the Walter van Dyke Bingham Professor of Cognitive Development and Education Sciences. “It seemed like he was headed for a great career, even then.”

A Philadelphia native, Zaslow is survived by his wife, Sherry, who is an anchor at a Fox television station in Detroit, and three daughters: Jordan, Alex and Eden.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Ira Kaufman Chapel in Southfield, Mich.

The Zaslow family has set up a website and Twitter feed to remember and celebrate his life. They can be found at:

http://rememberingzazz.com/
http://twitter.com/RememberingZazz

Stay connected with CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences on Twitter and Facebook.

Other sources of Carnegie Mellon news include the university news service website and the Carnegie Mellon Today magazine.

Contact Shilo Rea, Director of Public Relations at shilo@cmu.edu or (412) 268-6094.

About the Quick Links