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Life In Focus: A photographer's journey

EDITORS NOTE: Record-Eagle photojournalist Doug Tesner was sick, badly so. A lifelong smoker, Tesner, 64, battled lung cancer that spread to his lymph nodes. His outlook was bleak, and he was in Munson Medical Center for treatment. Tesner and his wife, Peggy, agreed to allow Record-Eagle reporter Lindsay VanHulle and photojournalist Jan-Michael Stump to follow their journey, document his life and examine an illness that each year claims about 160,000 lives in this country.

"Patient awaits cancer's toll" is the first in this series. Other articles:

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June 29, 2010

R-E photographer Douglas Tesner dies

From staff reports

TRAVERSE CITY — Record-Eagle photographer Douglas Tesner died this morning at Munson Medical Center, about four months after he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Tesner died about 8 a.m. with his wife Peggy, by his side. He was 64.

Tesner joined the Record-Eagle as a staff photographer in 2004, and won numerous state awards for his photography. He worked at two newspapers prior to his Record-Eagle tenure and also served 22 years in the U.S. Navy.

Tesner and his wife agreed to allow the Record-Eagle to document their struggle with his illness. The first installments of those reports appeared in Sunday and Monday’s papers. They also may be seen on the website (see sidebar at right).

Funeral arrangements are pending.

See Wednesday’s Record-Eagle for more on this story.

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