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Chris Rose, a veteran television journalist, died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday, January 12, aged 63. Chris worked at News Center Maine for more than thirty years and earned a reputation for being dedicated and reliable.
The Portland TV station announced the journalist’s death on Thursday afternoon via a post on its website. The announcement said:
“It is with heavy hearts that we share news of the loss of respected Maine journalist Chris Rose, who died Wednesday following a cardiac event.”
Chris Rose wrote about several high-profile events, including the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the sinking of El Faro in 2015. He also covered national stories involving people from Maine.
Featured stories such as Hollywood actor Robin Williams, who once came to Maine to shoot a movie, were also covered by Chris Rose. As per News Center Maine reports, Chris is survived by his two daughters, Miranda and Duffy.
Chris’ colleagues and other staff at the TV station described him as an unflappable and reliable journalist who could produce accurate and compelling stories under pressure and within short deadlines.
While announcing Chris' departure from WCSH, a longtime anchor of the channel, and Chris’ former colleague, Pat Callaghan, wrote in 2018:
“No one has been more reliable. You always knew he would make deadline; the story would be factual, compelling, and complete; and he would never waste words. That was probably his producer training in action.”
Callaghan retired from News Center Maine in December 2022.
Chris Rose's journalism career over the years
Chris Rose started his career in television news at WSMW-TV in Worcester, Massachusetts. He worked at WBZ-TV in Boston as a writer and producer. He later joined News Center Maine, where he devotedly worked for over three decades.
Chris began working for WCSH as a newscast producer in 1986. He then followed his destiny and began working as a news reporter in front of cameras. According to his colleagues, Chris gave each story his all, regardless of how serious, interesting, or weighty the subject was.
Chris’ work and dedication did not go unrewarded as he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Maine Association of Broadcasters in 2017. Pat Callaghan wrote in 2018 that if they ever gave an MVP award to a reporter at the News Center, Chris would be nominated every year.
After departing from News Center Maine, the veteran journalist joined the University of New England in Australia and worked as a public relations strategist.
Many people who knew the journalist and followed his stories took to Twitter to share their sadness over his passing.
Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, who previously worked as a reporter for News Center Maine and was Chris’ colleague for seven years, expressed her shock when she learned about his death. She said:
“Chris was more on the quiet side but he had a great sense of humor, a wonderful smile and he absolutely loved being a dad to his two girls. And while a lot of us have moved on from News Center Maine we still consider ourselves a family and this loss hurts, a lot.”
Sarah Delage, who was Chris’ co-worker for five years at News Center Maine and is currently UNE's director of public relations and communications, said:
“With his decades of experience with storytelling, his knowledge of the Maine media landscape, and his overall calm and steady demeanor, he was just a dream to work with. Our entire communications and marketing team loved and respected him.”
She continued that Chris had an even-tempered, steady quality that benefitted him in public relations and in the news. Delage claimed the late journalist was gifted with the ability to put others at ease so they could share their stories without feeling nervous, anxious, or uncomfortable.
Ellen Beaulieu, the vice president for UNE’s strategy and communications, called Chris Rose's death 'heartbreaking'. In a message to the UNE community, she said that Chris was a familiar face and that his presence was reliable on television across the state.
