Expressions of grief for WSJM’s Denise Bohn continue to pour in from those whose lives she touched. Denise was killed this week by her husband, who then killed himself. As soon as word got out Tuesday, everyone from friends to co-workers to politicians issued their condolences. Congressman Fred Upton said Denise “was a beloved community leader who folks of all stripes looked up to,” while State Senator John Proos, who knew her for decades, remembered her drive.
“I don’t know of anybody who could say no to Denise,” Proos told WSJM. “Denise knew how to make sure that her story would be a positive for those who would benefit from breast cancer screenings and the awareness that was raised through the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and we were blessed to have her.”
Denise, a breast cancer survivor, worked around the clock for the Susan G. Komen organization. Its Michigan Director, Jennifer Jurgens, said the news Tuesday stunned the entire staff. She knows what everyone who worked with Denise in the newsroom also knows — that she was a tireless go-getter.
“Denise was fiery and passionate and driven, and had more energy for the cause than 10 normal people,” Jurgens said.
Jurgens told us it takes an especially strong person to not only beat cancer, but also work each day to fight it for others. State Representative Al Pscholka, another friend of Denise, said he first knew her as a competitor during his radio days. He tells us he was so upset by the news this week, it was difficult to carry on with normal business.
“I was speechless, and I tried to conduct a hearing here in Lansing, and I just couldn’t do it, and I had to explain to folks why I couldn’t do it,” Pscholka said. “We have lost someone in our community who was really a leader, who was a friend.”
Michigan State Police say autopsies on Denise and her husband, Eric Stewart, were done Wednesday, finding she’d been shot multiple times in the upper torso. Her husband died as the result of a single gunshot. Services for Denise are currently being planned. Further details should be available Thursday.
