APRIL 6 • 2023 | 69

J

erry Green, 
a legendary 
sportswriter in 
Michigan, first at the 
Associated Press and later 
at The Detroit News, who 
was the only reporter to 
cover each of the first 
56 Super Bowls, died on 
March 23, 2023. He was 
94.
In February 2020, Green 
officially became the last 
reporter to see all of the Super Bowls, 
having outlasted Jerry Izenberg, 
a retired sports columnist for the 
Newark Star-Ledger. 
Green announced the end of his 
own streak in January 2023.
“To me, a proud honorable streak,” 
Green wrote in announcing he would 
not be covering Super Bowl LVII. 
“Hard work. A bit of notoriety, lots of 
deadlines — and dead ideas.”
Green joined the News in 1963 
and was the Lions beat writer from 
1965-72, at which point he shifted 
to a columnist role he kept until his 
official retirement in 2004. He kept 
writing occasionally for the News, 
including week-long coverage of the 
Super Bowl through 2020.
“Jerry was an icon at the News and 
among sports writers,” said Gary 
Miles, editor and publisher of the 
News. “And he was unabashedly proud 
of the paper, his contributions and 
his colleagues. He gave us his all, and 
we’ll miss him.”
Before the News, Green was at the 
Associated Press’ Detroit bureau, 
where he saw the Lions win the 1957 
NFL championship. Green believed 
he was the only writer who covered 
championships for all four major 
professional teams in Detroit: the 
Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons.
“We are saddened to hear of the 
passing of former Detroit News 
columnist Jerry Green,” the Lions 
wrote in a team statement. “Jerry’s 
work ethic, professionalism and 

commitment to his craft made a 
significant impact on journalism 
within the city of Detroit and around 
the country for more than a half-
century.
“Jerry’s dedication to covering the 
NFL was perhaps best reflected in 
his unprecedented streak of covering 
56 consecutive Super Bowls over the 
course of his career. His work was 
instrumental in promoting the game 
of football and expanding interest in 
the NFL. We extend our thoughts and 
prayers to the Green family and all 
who knew him.”
While at the News, Green was 
named Michigan’s sportswriter of the 
year 10 times, was inducted into the 
Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005 and 
the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 
2003. He also authored eight books, 
his first in 1969, and his last in 2008.
For years, Green and wife, Nancy, 
split their time between Metro Detroit 
and Palm Desert, California. Nancy 
died of breast cancer in 2002, and, in 
2010, Jerry returned to Michigan full 
time, living in Grosse Pointe.
Green is survived by his daughter, 
Jenny Klein (Dave) and his 
granddaughters Gretchen Klein 
(fiance Nick Yormick) and Susannah 
Klein.
Last year, Alan Muskovitz profiled 
him for the Jewish News. You can read 
the story at https://thejewishnews.
com/2022/03/21/the-dean-of-super-
bowls-catching-up-with-legendary-
sportswriter-jerry-green. 

A Legendary Sportswriter 

Jerry 
Green

Contributions may be made to 
American Cancer Society, 20450 
Civic Center Drive, Southfield, MI 
48076; Jewish Family Services, 6555 
W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, 
MI 48322; or Hebrew Benevolent 
Society, 26640 Greenfield Road, 
Oak Park, MI 48237. The funeral 
service was held at Hebrew 
Memorial Chapel. Interment took 
place at Workmen’s Circle Cemetery 
in Clinton Township. Arrangements 
by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
 

LEON ZOLKOWER, 
94, of Rockville, Md., 
formerly of Detroit, 
died March 27, 2023. 
Born in Havana, 
Cuba, in 1928, Mr. 
Zolkower emigrated to Detroit in 
1941. 
He is survived by his wife of 
74 years, Barbara; his children, 
Steven and Jan Zolkower, Nadyne 
and Harold Linton, and Galit and 
Bruce Kutz; grandchildren, Ronald, 
Gregory, Joshua, Jonathan, Gabriel, 
Hallie and their spouses; great-
grandchildren, Matthew, Ira, Jane, 
Henry and Avi. 
Interment was at Machpelah 
Cemetery. Contributions may be 
made to Jewish War Veterans of the 
U.S., 1811 R. St. NW, Washington, 
DC 20009, jwv.org. Arrangements 
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
 

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