Kinyon, co-owner of Detroit Outpost outfitters at Grayhaven State Harbor, was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, an extremely aggressive and rare form of cancer that ravaged her body and took her from the world in just five weeks, her husband, John Roberts-Kinyon, 44, told the Detroit Free Press. The mother of two died at home surrounded by family.

“Missy has left an indelible wake for everyone,” said Jason McGuire, 47, CEO and operator of Riverside Marina in Detroit. “Kayaks don’t leave wakes. Wakes are what happen when you go through the water pretty fast and it leaves a ripple. Kayaks don’t do that ― but Missy, her life, did that.”

"Missy opened her arms to everyone and made you feel as if you were the only one. She would say yes and do whatever needed to be done, especially for the underdog, said Lila Lazarus, a longtime friend and Detroit TV personality from Orchard Lake. “She had an open door, open heart policy. She saw the magic in everyone.”

_{Photo courtesy of Barbara Johns}