Community Will Celebrate Life of Author Jeffrey Zaslow at His Funeral Today

The West Bloomfield community and people nationwide are still grappling with the death on Friday of West Bloomfield resident and best-selling author Jeffrey Zaslow, 53, who died in an auto accident in northern Michigan.

The funeral for Zaslow is 1 p.m. Monday at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Rd., Southfield.

According to the Antrim County Sheriff's Office, a vehicle lost control on M-32 and skidded into the path of a truck Friday morning; the car's driver was killed, a dispatcher confirmed. Zaslow had made an appearance at a Petoskey bookstore on Thursday.

Zaslow, who co-wrote The Last Lecture and several other best-sellers, is survived by wife, FOX 2 newscaster Sherry Margolis, and three daughters, Jordan, Alex and Eden.

Shockwaves reverberated throughout the local community all weekend.

, media sources including Patch could barely keep with the pace of those who shared their memories and impact of the author's works, including the New York Times bestseller The Last Lecture and his most recent release The Magic Room.

 about his latest book, The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters, which was based on a small-town bridal shop in Fowler, between Metro Detroit and Lansing.

Branch manager Mary Killian said that Zaslow enjoyed immense support at his hometown library.

"It's such a tragedy. The West Bloomfield community has lost a treasured author," Killian said. "He spoke at the library just last week to his devoted readers who found inspiration in all of his books, from The Last Lecture to his new book, The Magic Room. His storytelling was such a gift to all of us."

, where recent images of Zaslow's appearance at the  could be found on its Facebook page. Several readers commented on West Bloomfield Patch's Facebook page with shock and sadness.

• Nancy Perkins: Oh my gosh, that's unbelievable!
• Camille Maniscalco-Dery: sincere condolences to Sherry Margolis and their three lovely daughters...very sad indeed..
• Venus Abrahim: I wish I would have be able to hear him speak at the library 2 weeks ago. Now I'll never have the chance. He seemed like a wonderful man as well as writer.
• Holly Shreve Gilbert: From myself and Garry, and from OU Journalism, condolences to Jeff Zaslow's many friends and family. This warm, generous and gifted man touched so many lives, including ours.
• Devon Weinman: ... the best next-door neighbor anyone could ever ask for.

the last dinner party they shared with their longtime friends Zaslow and Margolis with joy and sorrow.

"It was truly such an extraordinarily magical evening that I know everyone will remember together, forever," said Carolyn Krieger-Cohen of West Bloomfield. "He had an amazing wit and sense of timing. His delivery, his sense of humor, and his natural curiosity would have made you remember him if you met him on the street and had no idea of his works."

By Monday morning, the family had set up a Twitter feed (@RememberingZazz) and website at RememberingZazz.com, with Share a Story and Send a Message tabs in remembrance. 

Funeral services

for Monday at 1 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Rd., Southfield. Rabbi Joseph Krakoff and Cantor Meir Finkelstein will officiate.

Interment will be at Clover Hill Park Cemetery, 2425 E. 14 Mile Rd., Birmingham.