In a heartfelt tribute to a beloved community leader, residents in the Cleveland area gathered on Friday, June 6, to honor the life and legacy of Michael Thomas Duren with the planting of a magnolia tree on the grounds of the Cleveland Civic Center. The ceremony coincided with the city’s official proclamation of June 6 as a Day of Remembrance for Michael Thomas Duren.
Friends, family members, civic leaders, and community members came to the Civic Center to celebrate Duren, who served as the facility’s first director. The event featured a moving prayer from Cleveland attorney and longtime friend Mollie Lambert, and a powerful performance by singer Christina Wells.
Mayor Danny Lee read from the city’s proclamation, which honored Duren as a man of “resilience, charm, and creativity,” whose journey from Pasadena, Texas to Cleveland—via California and New York—left lasting impressions in every community he touched. The proclamation praised Duren’s career in design, hospitality, and real estate, and celebrated his “warmth, generosity, unforgettable smile, and commitment to community.”
“He was a great man,” Mayor Lee said during the ceremony. “He was always very kind, always professional, always clean and polite. And from the people sitting here today, it’s obvious that he represented himself very well. I see a large group of people from all different backgrounds of life came to honor Michael. This is a testament to the life that Michael lived.”
The magnolia tree, chosen by Duren’s husband James Franklin, now stands as a living symbol of the strength, beauty, and enduring grace that defined Duren’s life.
“This magnolia tree was something I chose for Michael, not just because he loved it, but because it reminded me of him,” Franklin said at the ceremony’s conclusion. “It’s steady, sturdy, strong, and beautiful. Michael spent most of his years here at the Cleveland Civic Center, not just keeping things running, but building things to last.”
Franklin noted that many of the trees planted around the Civic Center more than two decades ago were part of Duren’s vision for the grounds.
“He didn’t just maintain this place—he made it better,” Franklin said. “I hope when this tree blooms, you will think of him. I hope it reminds you of him—his warmth, humor, love for the city and its people.”
