Memorial for John Gruner

To friends, colleagues and fans of the late great John Gruner, Plain Dealer editor extraordinaire, who died May 12 after a long illness. The celebration of John 's life is set for Saturday, June 23, at noon at Messiah Lutheran Church, 21485 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park, Ohio. Bring photos to add to a memory board that will include his 1970 prom date, a glider flight over Hawaii, his renaissance gown, college football in Japan and world travel using his twin brother’s airline privileges. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Messiah, 21485 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park.   Lunch follows service. University of Michigan grads will be tolerated.

Here's the obit that was in the Plain Dealer:

John D. Gruner, 65, died May 12 at Ames Family Center, Hospice of the Western Reserve in Westlake. Gruner was best known as a world traveler, active member of Messiah Lutheran Church in Fairview Park, officer of the Cleveland chapter of Michigan State alumni, founder of the Northeast Ohio MSU Endowed Scholarship and as former assistant living editor at The Plain Dealer. With extended family in California, Wisconsin and Virginia, Gruner is survived by many friends. Born in Wisconsin, he was raised mostly in Fairview Park, Ohio and Livonia, Michigan. He was preceded in death by his father George, an auto company executive, mother Margaret (Brogan), a nurse, and twin brother Joseph, a international reservation agent for United Airlines. Proudly using airline travel benefits, he made several trips to Europe, Japan, the Mediterranean, and Australia. He attended basketball and football games throughout the U.S. with MSU. He once traveled roundtrip from California to Hawaii for dinner with a return stopover in Las Vegas. He was a graduate of the Journalism School at MSU and worked for newspapers in Detroit, Albany, and northern New Jersey before a 36-year stint at The PD. Death was from complications from cancer. Private interment will be with Joe at Sunset Memorial Park in North Olmsted. Memorial services will be announced later.