I have a great fondness for gifted storytellers, and Sue Marx was nothing if not that. I loved every conversation I ever had with her.
She was always insightful and thoughtful, but most of all – and this is the hallmark of great journalists and storytellers, endlessly curious.
I loved that she was part of the long history of Channel 4, even though her documentary series “Profiles in Black” aired long before my arrival on West Lafayette in Detroit. And I loved that she was as proud as she could be of that Oscar she won in 1988, but always in such a joyful and wondrous way. (She loved that winning the Academy Award meant that she became a voter in the Academy, helping bestow the awards on storytellers like herself.)
Sue was part of a friendship circle of women I long admired. It included our former general manager here at WDIV, Marla Drutz, and Cynthia Ford. (The group loved politics and often they would turn election night into a field trip to the Local 4 studios to feel the moment-to-moment pulse of the evening.) Today I asked Cynthia to share her thoughts on Sue and I just loved her response. I’m including it here:
Thoughts about Sue - and Hank Marx abound - mostly centered around their connection to and love of people. I moved to Detroit as a young adult and was fortunate to meet them very early on. They befriended me immediately - and never let me go! But that was Sue and Hank. I could sit with Sue for hours as she reminisced about her earliest days in Detroit - how she met people and made friends - lifelong friends. Sue delighted in paying people compliments - sincere recognition of an accomplishment or a simple moment. She was a convener - both of existing groups of friends and those she knew would enjoy an introduction. I believe her creativity - photography and movie making - emanated from her love of being with and wanting to connect people and ultimately to record what she so happily experienced. Sue was gentle, kind and loyal and never missed an opportunity to tell you how much your friendship meant to her.
Sue and Hank were the best......and I loved them from the moment we met.
Thank you for that, Cynthia. And thank you, Sue, for a lifetime devoted to the craft of storytelling and for being so willing to share that craft with me and so many others.