Jennifer Moore always focused on the story and not herself. But viewers and coworkers couldn't help but notice the talented woman.
"She was a life force. She was all that energy and all that curiosity," said Anne Thompson, NBC News' chief environmental affairs correspondent.
Moore started at WDIV in 1979 as a business editor. For a woman at that time, her role was pioneering. It didn't take long for newsmakers to recognize the newswoman.
"The first person they always called on was Jennifer," Thompson said. "It was not just because she was a woman. It was because she probably was the smartest person in the room."
The road to respect was bumpy at first. In the early 70s, at the radio station she worked at in Ohio, her bosses didn't like her name.
"They wanted me to change it to Sunny Day," Moore explained, during her speech at her induction into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame this year.
She thrived at her next radio job, which was at WJR. Blending with the men was no trouble.
"I swore like a trucker. It shocked them and, sadly, it gave me a really bad habit that I have yet to break," Moore joked.
After her time at WDIV, she went on to be a successful entrepreneur and communications manager for the Ford Motor Company.
"She had this tremendous intellect," Thompson said. "She could talk about anything."
Her work didn't stop her from being a loving mother to three children and two step-children.
"She never missed a soccer game. She never missed a concert. She never missed an opportunity to critique my homework," said her oldest son, Michael Carroll.
Moore was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. She battled it, and was able to dance with Carroll at his wedding in May.
"When God made Jennifer Moore, he didn't just break the mold, he shattered it," said Dan Mountney, a former WDIV anchor and reporter who worked with Moore.
Jennifer Moore's family is asking for people to donate to her favorite charity -- Alternatives For Girls. For more information, go to AlternativesForGirls.org.
More from Local 4's Roger Weber, a close friend and colleague:
The WDIV family has lost a cherished member. We are saddened by Jennifer Moore's passing, but inspired by her remarkable life.
Some measure television careers by Emmys on a shelf or success stories on a resume.
Jennifer had all of that.
More importantly, she had a fierce devotion to the highest standards of journalism.
She worked tirelessly to make her stories accurate, captivating and illuminating.
Jennifer was an amazing story herself.
She shattered the myth that business reporting was better left to men. She nurtured her wonderful children, in spite of the demands of her job. She inspired her family and her many friends by remaining active and vibrant during a battle with cancer.
We are sharing that story with you.
We are also including her entire Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame induction speech. Her gift of writing and her passion for news shine through.
That speech should be required viewing for current and aspiring journalists.
Thanks Jennifer, for raising the bar, and for being an incredible friend and colleague.
-- Roger Weber