Ankeny, former Crain’s Detroit reporter, dies at 86

Bob Ankeny, a reporter at Crain’s Detroit Business from 1995 to 2008, died Monday at the age of 86.

Sherri Welch of Crain’s Detroit writes, “‘One of the best hires we ever made was Bob Ankeny. We were lucky enough to recruit him at a time when the (Detroit daily) newspapers were on strike,’ said Mary Kramer, former editor and publisher of Crain’s Detroit Business.

“Ankeny brought institutional memory of Detroit and instant credibility to the still-fledgling Crain’s Detroit Business newsroom. He had covered so many people, places and institutions and knew everybody, she said.

“‘Plus, he was one of the nicest people you could ever meet. That’s one of the reasons he had such incredible sources; people genuinely liked him and trusted him.'”

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