Students, Journalists Remember Ben Burns

Many people shared their memories Friday of Ben Burns, a Grosse Pointe resident, Wayne State University professor and prominent journalist who passed away.

Burns was publisher of Grosse Pointe Today and the head of the journalism department at Wayne State. He died of acute myeloid leukemia, his family told the Detroit Free Press.

Burns also was the former executive editor at the Detroit News and the editor and publisher at The Macomb Daily and Daily Tribune.

Burns was very active in the community locally, as well, and served the Grosse Pointes in many ways. According to his obituary on Grosse Pointe Today, Burns was a member of Grosse Pointe Memorial Church and served as secretary of Serving Older Citizens, president of the Rotary Club of Grosse Pointe, president of the Grosse Pointe Senior Men’s Club, and president of the Grosse Pointe Ecumenical Men’s Breakfast. Burns also championed February's Grosse Pointe Library millage.

He is survived by his wife Beverly, four children and six grandchildren.

Michigan Patch created a Storify to share what others were saying about Burns. You can share your thoughts and memories in the comments section below.

Funeral arrangements were pending, as of Friday afternoon.