From FoxTV in Detroit:

  It is with deep sorrow that we report the death of Jeffrey Zaslow, best-selling author and husband to FOX 2′s Sherry Margolis .

According to the Antrim County Sheriffs Department, Zaslow was killed in an automobile accident in northern Michigan Friday morning. It happened just after 9 a.m. on M-32, about half-mile from US-131 near Elmira. Police report he lost control of the vehicle on the snow covered road and was hit by a semi-truck.

From the Wall Street Journal

Mr. Zaslow was a Journal reporter from 1983 to 1987 when his career took a remarkable turn. In 1987, Mr. Zaslow wrote a first-person front-page article on a contest to replace Ann Landers, who had just left the Chicago Sun-Times. He won the contest, which drew 12,000 applicants, and took the job for several years, until 2001.

He later rejoined the paper. In 2005, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists named him the best columnist at a large newspaper for his Moving On column. He was awarded the same honor in 2003.

Mr. Zaslow’s books included “The Last Lecture,” written with Randy Pausch, on the final lecture of the Carnegie Mellon professor.

Jeff and I were pals when he was in town working for the Journal and the Sun-Times.  He was as friendly and talented a guy as you’d ever want to meet — endlessly curious, open, honest, funny. It didn’t surprise that his career as an author had taken off. He listened as well as he wrote and always seemed aware of how blessed he was with his great family and great success.

Two quotes from the Sun-Times obit say a bit more:

Jeff was just a bundle of energy, He did so well with the column, and his subsequent books, because he was such a compassionate man who was interested in people. He was kind and funny and so humble about his talents. And oh, how he loved Sherry and their girls…..  Sue Ontiveros, Sun-Times deputy features editor, who spent time as Zaslow’s editor.  

 The person who was least impressed with Jeff’s success was Jeff himself …Neal Boudette, Wall Street Journal Detroit bureau chief 

Here he is giving a TED lecture: