Jody Sue Gottlieb - Obituary

Jody Sue Gottlieb, 58, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, October 1st in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Born on January 6,1967 in Flint, Michigan, Jody had been living in Petoskey working as the Interim Executive Director of the American Association of Suicidology, a non-profit with personal significance to her and her family. Jody packed more life, laughter, and passion into her years than most of us could fit into several lifetimes, and everyone who knew her is devastated by her loss. Jody was a force of nature, blazingly bright, and the world feels smaller, darker, and colder without her in it. 

Jody graduated high school from the Williston North Hampton Prep Academy in MA, before earning her BA in Fine and Studio Arts from the College of Charleston. She later returned and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for her international impact as a world-renowned media professional. Her larger than life and insatiable curiosity led her to a wildly successful career as an investigative journalist whose roles included director, producer, strategist, and creative content developer. 

She began her career in Atlanta, GA, at Turner Original Productions as a director before moving to CNN where she created the Special investigative Unit. In her 12 years as Executive Producer there, she was committed to documenting events and shepherding projects with global impact. Not one to sit on the sidelines, she often talked fondly of her time embedded in the Middle East working tirelessly to tell the stories happening there with depth, accuracy, and authenticity.  Who else but Jody would speak longingly of a time fraught with danger? She relished bird-dogging every detail to tell complex stories regardless of where they took her and in spite of the risks her work entailed. Her work at CNN was recognized with both Peabody and Emmy Awards.

From there, she worked at Middle East Broadcast Networks in Washington, DC, before becoming the Head of Development and Production at Vulcan, Inc., in Seattle, WA, where she developed the Oscar nominated feature documentary, The Ivory Game.  She was passionate about telling stories that mattered, stories that said something about who we are and what we can be. 

Jody wasn’t just a storyteller; she was a story builder. After a stint at Arizona PBS, she co-founded Rainstream Media with her former colleague at CNN, David Payne. As the Executive Producer of the podcast “Somebody Somewhere” and Chief Creative Officer of RainStream Media, she returned to her roots as an investigative journalist to tell the unsolved murder story that no one was paying attention to. Whether knocking on doors, interviewing witnesses, or rattling FBI cages, Jody was determined to get the stories right and had a ball doing it. With her wry wit, incisive commentary, and no holds barred tenacity, Jody could woo anyone into talking. 

More recently, Jody brought that same mix of creativity and heart to the American Association of Suicidology, where she served as Interim Executive Director. She didn’t just lead — she modeled the very vulnerability necessary to reach those who are struggling, and recently told her story from the conference main stage of what it was like to lose a brother to suicide. She showed everyone that compassion and competence could (and should) share the same spaces.

Jody always found a way to bring humor, humanity, and her signature sparkle to the room. If you spent any time with her, you know — equal parts stand-up comedian and pit-bull private-eye, never one to suffer fools in silence, she was an avid admirer of intellect, intrigue, and curiosity. She was the one you wanted to sit next to at a big event and the one you wanted in your corner when the going got tough. She was sincere, straight-shooting, and adoring of those she loved. Her sharp one-liners disarmed everyone and made people in her presence glow as though they were orbiting a burst of light. Generous with a laugh, gracious with praise, and your fiercest fan, Jody packed more personality, charism, and sincerity into her short life than the rest of us combined.

Jody is survived by a family who adored her: Her dear father, Gil Gottlieb; brother Steven (Jennifer) Gottlieb, sister-in-law Amy Gottlieb, nephews Sam, Ben, Jonathan, and nieces Isabelle and Anna. Her extended family includes legions of devoted friends scattered all over the world whom she cultivated into family. 

Preceded in death recently by her mother, Zelma, her dear brother Jonathan, grandparents Sidney Gottlieb and Alberta Belle RosenbergandAbraham Schrieber and Shirley Margolis. 

Cremation has taken place, and a memorial for Jody will be held at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Association of Suidology in memory of her brother, Jonathan, the American Lung Association or The Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Consortium. 

Having survived a terrorist bombing in Paris as a child, Jody understood better than most how fleeting life is and often exhorted us to hug our people. Hug your people, hug each other, and tell the stories that will keep her alive for all of us.