A Michigan man who had a key role in building one of the longest bridges in the United States has been buried 15 years after his death after a funeral home near the iconic structure surprised the public by saying it still had his ashes.
Larry Rubin was laid to rest Wednesday in Petoskey, 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan's two peninsulas.
For decades, Rubin was the senior staff member at the Mackinac Bridge Authority, which manages the bridge, a 5-mile (8 km) span over the Straits of Mackinac that is considered the third-longest suspension bridge in the U.S. It opened in 1957.
When the bridge was built, "he had an important role because the Authority needed someone to carry out their decisions. He served with excellence,” Barbara Brown, a former board member, said Friday.
Brown said she was “just shocked” when she saw Rubin's name listed in the St. Ignace newspaper. A funeral home was informing the public that it had many unclaimed cremains. His family apparently didn't pick them up after he died at age 97 in 2010.
Val Meyerson of Temple B’nai Israel in Petoskey was familiar with the Jewish section of Greenwood Cemetery and aware that Rubin's first wife, Olga, was buried there in 1990. His name was already on the headstone in anticipation of eventual death.
Meyerson said friends from the Bridge Authority helped pay for Rubin's interment. About two dozen people attended a graveside service led by a rabbi.
“We all took turns filling in the grave, which was quite an honor," Brown said. “To have been neglected and forgotten for so long — it was moving."
FILE - The Mackinac Bridge is seen, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, from Mackinaw City, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in his seventh triple-double of the season, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 111-99 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 23 points and Onyeka Okongwu had 22 for the Hawks, while both Zaccharie Risacher and Luke Kennard scored 12.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 24 points. OG Anunoby had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Mikal Bridges added 18 points.
Ariel Hukporti, who replaced Karl-Anthony Towns (illness) in the starting lineup, grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds for New York.
The Knicks got off to a quick start, taking an 11-2 lead. Trailing 30-29, the Hawks scored the final four points of the first quarter and never trailed again.
Atlanta extended its lead to 60-45 on Okongwu’s short jumper with 1:16 remaining in the second quarter before Brunson’s runner cut the Knicks’ deficit to 60-47 at halftime.
Alexander-Walker’s driving layup with 1:14 left in the third quarter gave the Hawks their biggest lead of the game at 94-68 and they were ahead 94-70 at the end of the quarter.
The Knicks scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter and pulled within 94-81 before Kennard connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to end the streak.
New York mounted a final rally following consecutive 3-pointers by Bridges to edge within 108-99, but never got any closer.
The Hawks, who have won two in a row following a season-high, seven-game losing streak, became the first team to hold the Knicks to fewer than 100 points this season.
Atlanta's Trae Young (bruised right quadriceps) and Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) each missed their third straight games.
Hawks: Visit Toronto on Saturday.
Knicks: Host Philadelphia on Saturday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu reacts after scoring a 3-point basket during first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) passes the ball around New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti (55) during second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, bottom, and Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) battle for the ball during second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, right, is defended by New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby during second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
