After a lifetime of silence on the issue, Vice President Nelson Rockefeller's former deputy press secretary acknowledged his notoriety over the politician's death in a handwritten eulogy published earlier this month.
Journalist Megan Marshak, once a young aide to Rockefeller and speculated to have been his longtime mistress, died on October 2 at a live-in medical facility in California at the age of 70, she announced. . autobiographical obituary.
Her brother admitted that she wrote the death notice herself. new york timesfocused primarily on her long career in journalism, but also included time working as a former Republican vice president and four-term governor of New York.
The very first line reads: “Megan Ruth Marshak, who was associated around the world with the death of former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, passed away on October 2, 2024 from liver and kidney failure.” It is written.
Marshak, then 25, was with Rockefeller when he died of a heart attack in 1979. Details of his sudden death at the age of 70 changed rapidly over the next few days as reporters searched for information. As more information emerged, the former governor's spokesperson repeatedly corrected the location of the death and who was there.
The young aide and aspiring journalist found himself at the center of speculation and media attention late Friday night as one of the last people to see Rockefeller alive or dead. Rumors about a possible relationship quickly flew, and reporters followed Marshak relentlessly, hoping she would talk.
But she never did, according to friends and family who spoke to the Times — not even on her deathbed.
“My understanding is that after he died, she signed a non-disclosure agreement at the request of his family and that's why she never talked about it,” her brother told the publication. spoke. “I think she always had a desire to tell this story, but she stayed true to her obligation.”
He said he never looked in.
Marshak does not mention the rumored relationship in his obituary, but concludes with lyrics from the 1975 musical “A Chorus Line.” “(But I) won't forget what I did for love, and I can't regret it,'' causing speculation from those around me. A possible hint.
A friend, a former colleague at CBS, heard Marshak's account of his relationship with Rockefeller and, although his offer to retell it after Marshak's death was rejected by the journalist, gave an interpretation of the quote to the Times. told.
“I think what Megan did 'for love' was to keep it a secret in her mind rather than revealing intimate details that could be the butt of a cruel joke.” Laurie Nadel emailed the newspaper.
Mr. Marshak first met Mr. Rockefeller when he was just 22 years old while on a six-month trial assignment for the Associated Press. She was attending the vice president's press conference in Los Angeles and was asked to comment on the federal government's denial of relief for New York City.
Rockefeller was answering questions in Spanish when a grumpy young reporter interrupted him.
“Vice President,” she called out.
According to her obituary, he responded, “I'd appreciate a moment.”
“No, Ahora, please,” Marshak reportedly demanded.
“Huh?” asked Rockefeller.
“So, about New York City,” Marshak continued in English, drawing laughter from the audience.
“Marshak took her word and apologized for interrupting her and Rockefeller as they exited the press conference together,” she wrote in her obituary.
After failing to secure a full-time job with the Associated Press, Marshak applied and was accepted to Rockefeller's reporting team. When Mr. Rockefeller was dropped as President Ford's running mate, he hired a team in New York, including Mr. Marshak.
She continued to serve as his deputy press secretary and also worked as director of his art collection, among various other projects. She called him “the most caring man and caring boss I ever met” in an article published in the San Fernando Valley News days before his death.
After his death, she returned to journalism, working for CBS News and a local newspaper in Placerville, California, where she met her husband, Edmund Jacoby Jr., and they married in 2003. He passed away last year.
Marshak is survived by his brother, John Marshak.
