Sad news just in from Getty Images – Steve Rose, Senior Director for Sport, EMEA, at the agency has died aged 54.
This from Ken Mainardis, Senior Vice President Global Editorial, Getty Images:
• ‘I am writing to share the sad news that our Senior Director for Sport, EMEA and close friend, Steve Rose, passed away on Sunday morning in London following a heroic 15-month fight against illness.
Steve Rose was a giant of the golden age of sports photography. He began his career at Allsport, the business that became Getty Images Sport, in September 1983 working all the way through the organisation from dark room to Director of Photography. Steve was well-known and liked across the industry for his commitment to quality and a total dedication to elevating the craft of sports photography.
During his career, Steve managed the Getty Images UK and EMEA sports teams, producing and developing the finest sports photography talent and teams in the world today.
We will miss Steve greatly and our thoughts are with his family at this time’.
Ken Mainardis.
If you would like to add a memory or a photo of Steve send them to me [email protected] or use the comments section below.
‘Rosie’ and Lee Martin together at the Beijing Olympics in 2008• The photo above was sent by Lee Martin – SVP, Global Strategic Development Getty Images – who says: ‘We started together at Allsport in 1983 so worked together man and boy for 35 years. I will miss him so much his sense of humour was legendary he played a massive part in helping build the Allsport Agency and then the Getty Images Sports business he was respected by every Sport Photographer in the industry should they be Getty Images or competitors that was the mark of the man.’
‘RIP Rosie.’
• ‘Having taken a job at the new and exiting Racing Post back in the day in the 1980’s I spent many an afternoon in the basement of allsport, in the tunnel darkroom, with Steve, GG and a very young ‘George Michael’ lookalike Ian Down….
We used to bike our rolls of film from Cheltenham races to Allsport to process, a mad 2 hours waiting for its delivery, this was pre internet days.
Steve Rose was and still is my hero. He never ever refused to help or explain. I loved these afternoons always filled with laughter.
Many people reading this will never understand how his knowledge, ideas and work have shaped their working lives and for that we should all be grateful and raise a glass to a genius of a man.’
Rest well Steve x
Sue Connolly
Daily Mail Features
• Sad, sad news… one of the best people I know in the sport photo business, always kind and friendly. The wiring tent will not bee the same anymore…RIP Mr Rose.
Christer Höglund
Sweden
If you would like to add a memory or a photo of Steve send they to me at [email protected] or use the comments section below.
Met Steve only a couple times but that was enough to know him as a good person and someone we were lucky to have on our team. One of the Allsport OGs!
In an industry that changes daily and is so fast paced as to not allow for the relationship building that we all know works for both parties, Steve could be counted upon to lay out expectations, follow through with commitments and be a great partner advocate. He will rightly stand tall in all our memories and I, for one, find today a lot more empty. RIP Steve and my sincere condolences to his family, close friends and colleagues.
Steve was one of my best friends for 35 years – we met at Allsport when he joined in 1983 and we spent years on the lightbox together as Picture Editors. He introduced me to the delights of supporting West Ham United. From 1990 we were the Picture Desk operators together at Allsport – the best years of our lives, no doubt. His dry and laconic sense of humour was one of his greatest assets, that and his undiminished work ethic, passion and brilliance as a picture editor and Director of Photography.
I saw him at his home in Sutton last year – I’m glad I got to hug him and chat about the halcyon Allsport days for a couple of hours. ‘Bless you Steve – Love and Peace to Yvonne and the girls.
It is with great sadness that I’ve just heard of the passing of Steve Rose.
Rosie and I had many a heated exchange over picture selection and editing over the years, but always respected each other’s views. He was one of the best editors I had the pleasure to work with.
My heartfelt condolences to his family.
Chris Cole.Cape Town