Farewell Ken Stevens, shoot pretty forever more.

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief. 

Over the past 27 years in journalism I have met many colleagues in the profession. A select few of those stand-out as mentors and friends. Monday, I heard the news that one of those colleagues/friends/mentors died suddenly at the young age of 51. Ken Stevens was media specialist at M-Live.com/Muskegon Chronicle, where he had worked for 28 years. I have known Ken for pretty much the past 25 years.

When I was attending college, I got to know the photographers at the Chronicle. Ken went out of his way to treat me as an equal and to also become my friend. He let me shadow him while he worked.

Through the years we have crossed paths on many breaking news stories, most recently the murder trial of Eric Knysz, the man who killed Michigan State Police Trooper Paul Butterfield, and also the case against Sean Phillips, the man who is accused of killing his infant daughter, “Baby Kate.”

Ken always had a smile on his face and always took time to ask about my family.

He was one of the great photojournalists and western Michigan was blessed to have him share his talents with us on the pages of the Chronicle and Mlive.

See the Mlive story here.