by
Sportswriter Drew Sharp's family, colleagues and others will pay respects Wednesday and Thursday at two Oakland County locations.
The prominent Detroit Free Press journalist died Friday morning at age 56 in his Bloomfield Hills home from heart disease caused by high blood pressure.
His widow and two brothers will receive friends from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday. at A.J. Desmond & Sons funeral home, 32515 Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak. A public memorial service begins at 11 a.m. Thursday in Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 5631 N. Adams Rd. in Bloomfield Hills. A half-hour visitation precedes the service.
Memorial tributes can be made to Almost Home Animal Rescue League and Haven, a Southfield nonprofit, via credit card here or by mail to Post Office. Box 250602, West Bloomfield, MI 48325..
Earlier update Saturday:
A Free Press reporter tweets this Saturday morning update:
Oakland Co. Medical Examiner's office autopsy concludes Drew Sharp died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Pronouncement at 7:07 a.m.
— Carlos Monarrez (@cmonarrez) October 21, 2016
Hypertensive heart disease refers to heart conditions caused by chronically elevated blood pressure.
Funeral details are not announced yet. The late sports columnist is survived by his wife Karen, his brothers Calvin and Brian, his sister-in-law Regina, his nephew Calvin, and his niece, Donna, Monarrez writes.
Original article, Friday:
Salutes are posted online for Drew Sharp, a Detroit Free Press sports columnist who died Friday morning at his Bloomfield Hills home.
"Rest in Peace, Drew Sharp. We had a fun ride in the D and you were a part of it," tweets NBA retiree Chauncey Billups, who played with the Pistons from 2002-08.
Former University of Michigan star Jalen Rose, another NBA vet, tweets: "You will be sorely missed. Thanks for being a blessing to so many."
Fox Sports Detroit graphic
His newspaper reports the writer's abrupt death at age 56. He had been recovering from a medical condition, though the cause of death wasn't immediately determined.
"Sharp was famous for his acerbic wit and for being tough on the teams he covered," says his paper, which gives this career background:
Sharp, a Detroit native who graduated from Detroit Catholic Central in 1978 and the University of Michigan in 1982, joined the Free Press in 1983. Initially, he had covered high school, college and pro beats. He formerly was the beat writer for Michigan State and the Detroit Pistons.
In January 1999, at the age of 38, Sharp was promoted to a full-time columnist.
"Drew's life was the Free Press," the paper quotes his wife, Karen, as saying. "He loved the people there. He loved his job more than anything. He always considered himself very lucky to have such a good career."
His final column, on Michigan State University basketball, was published Friday morning. "I'm consider it a privilege that the last thing he covered was MSU Basketball Media Day ," coach Tom Izzo says in a statement.,
These are among other early reactions on social media and at the Freep's site, where more than 300 comments are posted:
► "Drew was my colleague for more years that I can remember. This news was a complete shock, and heartbreaking knowing how much Drew was loved by his family and friends." -- Mitch Albom, Freep sports columnist
► "He was more than a rip guy. He was also a dogged journalist." -- Jeff Seidel, Freep sports columnist
► "Drew had the unique ability and wit to rip you one day and laugh with you the next. . . . He never took sports too seriously and loved to evoke emotional responses from his readers who did." -- Tom Izzo, MSU basketball head coach
► "There was a certain honor and downside to working alongside Drew as a columnist these many years. No matter what you wrote, it wouldn’t be the most-biting critique." -- Bob Wojnowski, Detroit News
► "In an city where I've always felt fans were to hard on our sportswriters and never understand the 'grind' it is to be a sports journalist, Drew Sharp was one of the best." -- Kahn Davison, Detroit
► "Drew Sharp loved writing about our beloved Detroit sports. He was a powerful voice, with big opinions . . . and he will be greatly missed." -- Robert Huschka, Freep executive editor
Drew was one of the nicest, kindest people I have ever met in this business. He fed his image in print but personally was so generous.
— Mark Snyder (@Mark__Snyder) October 21, 2016
Great wit. Great fun. And no one took barbs (often cruel, because of bigotry) better than Drew. He got sports. He got life. Will so miss him
— Lynn G. Henning (@Lynn_Henning) October 21, 2016
Drew Sharp was funny, kind, super talented and super encouraging. So saddened by his passing. Such a loss to so many people.
— Georgea Kovanis (@georgeakovanis) October 21, 2016
RIP #DrewSharp Saddened to hear the news. I will miss our talks in the locker room pre game. Condolences to the Sharp family and friends.
— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) October 22, 2016
► "Sports fans either loved or hated his opinions and sports columns about our Detroit sports teams, but those same people also kept coming back to wonder and read in the Free Press 'what's Drew's take on this?' A true sign of talent." -- Eric Seals, Freep photographer
► "Shaking my head at the loss of my friend Drew Sharp, who helped me early in my career and was great to hang with on road." -- Larry Lage, AP sportswriter
► "I really liked his work. He wasn't a cheerleader. He didn't try to elicit emotional responses from you in a gooey kind of way. He just told it like he saw it. He will be missed by me, that's for sure." -- Jim Lagrow
► "Drew Sharp was my friend. Please remember him kindly and remember that a person's life amounts to much more than any one thing he did." -- Michael Monarrez, Free Press reporter
► "While I disagreed on many things with him, I admired his dogged determination to call out the Lions for their 50-plus years of failure and how it affected fans." -- Pete Lisenbee
► "What a terrible shock. While Drew would rile up his readers, I sensed it wasn't just for the sake of riling people up., He was committed to his opinions and insights." -- Larry Rice
► "While I did not agree with his opinions often, my prayers go out to his family. Let's face it, sports is more fun when you have opposition and Mr. Sharp gave that in his columns." -- Donald Small
► "Drew was a loyal Detroiter and a man dedicated to his craft. He had a witty sense of humor and left an indelable footprint on us all." -- Thomas Feorini
► "He was witty and filled with a humorous outlook. I think he got what most of us miss in our zeal for our teams: this is sports, not real life. Don't take it so seriously.." -- Chris Imire, Farmington Hills
► "Some media types are an act. I always felt Drew was authentic and believed in what he wrote." -- Michael Martin, Farmington Hills
