James Trew Obituary

Trew, James Otis Sr. Died April 27, 2011, in West Bloomfield Michigan, after a long illness. Born in West Frankfort, Illinois, on February 23, 1922, he was 89 years old. He is survived by his wonderful wife of 37 years, Dorothy Trew; beloved son James Otis Trew, Jr. of Chicago; and grateful daughter, the Hon. Mary (Lisa) Trew, a judge in Cook County Circuit Court, Illinois. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Rosemary Ann (nee Ward) Trew in 1970; and eldest daughter Martha Ann Trew in 2005. His parents were Mildred London and Carl Trew. He is also survived by his two wonderful stepdaughters, Nancy (Tom) Curley and Patricia Malone. Jim and Dottie were the proud grandparents of four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They had many friends, including the late famed broadcaster of the Detroit Tigers, Ernie Harwell, who, until his own recent death, visited Jim many times during his illness. Jim was a professional baseball player and player/manager who originally signed with the Chicago White Sox, briefly playing on their major league team early in his career. He then played and managed teams for the Chicago Cubs organization from 1946 to 1954. Later, he became a scout for such major league teams as the Cincinnati Reds and, of course, the Detroit Tigers. Two of the players he signed, Jim Northrup and Willie Horton, were members of the 1968 World Champion Detroit Tigers. As a young man Jim received football and academic scholarships to attend Michigan State University as an undergraduate, then obtained his Master's Degree from the University of Michigan. He was an airman in the Army Air Corps, later rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force. He taught English literature, History, coached baseball and football in the Detroit Public Schools for 20 years, winning numerous championships along the way. He completed his academic career as Director of Admissions for Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan. Visitation will be Sunday, May 1, 2011 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at O'Brien Sullivan Funeral Home, 41555 Grand River Avenue in Novi, Michigan. Funeral services and burial will be Monday, May 2, 2011 in Freeport, Michigan, near Grand Rapids. The entire Trew family would like to thank the staff of Sunrise Senior Living of West Bloomfield, particularly in Reminiscense, and Hospice of Michigan for their excellent care of Jim.