The recent Great Lakes Comic-Con at Macomb Community College was bittersweet for the DeSantis family.

The event in mid-February celebrated its 15th anniversary by extending the convention to three days for the first time.

But sadly its founder, Mike DeSantis, wasn’t there to share in the milestone. DeSantis, a history teacher at Athens High School in Troy for 28 years, died on Feb. 10. He was 53.

The fourth of five children, Mike was born in Grosse Pointe and graduated from Lake Shore High School in St. Clair Shores. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education from Oakland University and his master’s degree in education from Marygrove College. Mike is survived by Amy, his wife of 27 years, and their two daughters, Madalyn, 21, and Josie, 18, all of whom live in Macomb County. The cause of death was not released by the family, who said a memorial service will be planned for a later date.

Amy said the Great Lakes Comic-Con had always been family affair. Mike, an avid fan of Marvel Comics and the Star Wars franchise, often had help from his immediate family: his brother, Ken, and his wife, Maureen; his sister, Gerianne, and her husband, Mark Prichard; his late mother, Diane, as well as Amy DeSantis’ brother, John Baird, and his wife, Jennifer.

“It was a dream of Mike’s to actually own a comics store, which was scary for me,” Amy DeSantis said. “We decided, ‘Let’s run a show instead.’ We started off at a VFW Hall in 2010 and it just kept growing and growing. We went from one day to two days. As it grew more popular, we added more things, which included bringing in more family members because we couldn’t do it by ourselves anymore.

“His mom was a staple at all the shows, too,” recalled Amy DeSantis.

Around 6,000 people attended this year’s convention held Feb. 21-23. Among the guests were “Flash Gordon” star Sam J. Jones and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” co-creator Kevin Eastman.

“We were very pleased with the turnout,” Amy said. “We were amazed by the numbers on Saturday with everyone coming to see Eastman.”

An outpouring of support from friends, colleagues, former and current students, and the comic-con community lit up social media before and during the convention.

“Mike was a good-hearted man who put on a great event for the whole family. It’s heartbreaking that he didn’t get to see one of his best shows,” said Dennis Barger, Jr., owner of Wonderworld Comics in Monroe.

Two large banners honoring Mike were laid out for people to sign and pay tribute.

“I had many people — local artists — come up to me over the weekend and tell me how much they appreciated Mike. They said, ‘This was my first show as an artist. Mike took a chance on me and that got me into other shows,’ ” Amy said. “Our show was a great launching pad for them to get known and get invited to other comic-cons.”

Award-winning writer Dirk Manning, creator of Image Comics’ “Nightmare World,” was a guest at this year’s convention as he has been many times since 2010. He has fond memories of Mike.

“Mike DeSantis was one of the most genuinely kind people anyone could have the honor of meeting in the Michigan comic book community,” said Manning. “You would be extremely hard-pressed to find anyone who could ever find even a mildly cross thing to say about him personally or professionally. He was a ray of light and a true bastion of positivity.”

He continued: “On a personal level, I would always take time to stop and chat with Mike anytime we were at a convention together. Some of my fondest memories have always been those private moments, including at his own convention, when we would break away from all the hustle-and-bustle and just catch up about matters both professional and personal. He was a kind soul and a good friend.”

Former Marvel editor Bob Budiansky was a guest at the 2024 convention. He is best known for his contributions to the “Transformers” franchise, from writing the original comic and conceiving the names of many initial characters to creating the bios on the toy packages.

“Looking back on all the shows I’ve (been featured at) over the years, without a doubt, Mike was as gracious and friendly a host as I have ever met,” he said. “It quickly became clear to me that he was extremely well organized, ran a top-notch show, and the comfort of his guests was first and foremost on his mind throughout that weekend.

“But what made him especially stand out to me was his talent for getting strangers to befriend each other. The way he arranged for us guests to have meals together at the hotel we stayed at forced me, and I’m sure many others, to get to know people we had never met before. I had a great time! And Mike was able to join us for much of this time. By the end of the weekend, I felt like a member of Mike’s extended family!” Budiansky said.

Manning from Image Comics agreed.

“Mike was also a foundational pillar in what is now a thriving comic book community in Michigan, perhaps much more than people will ever give him credit for, because he never wanted the focus on himself,” he said. “He was a fan of comics, and someone who dedicated all aspects of his life to helping others. His impact and legacy will be immeasurable, though, even if he never allowed his contributions to be as flamboyant or even recognized, as those of others.”

At Athens, DeSantis taught numerous social studies classes, including advanced placement history, government, political science and criminal law.

“He loved criminal law. He created that class and loved teaching it. He got jealous when I would get called to jury duty and he didn’t,” recalled Amy, laughing.

Vernon Burden, Athen’s principal, also spoke highly of DeSantis.

“(He) was a beloved educator, colleague, and leader at Athens for decades,” said Burden. “Dedicated in helping students reach their full academic potential, Mike had a passion for delivering AP history and AP government curriculum.”

In addition to his affinity for comics, DeSantis was also a second-degree blackbelt and started a karate club at the school in the 1990s. He was also a representative of the district teacher’s union.

Even after his death, DeSantis continues to help others.

“Through Gift of Life, he’s helping … people who might be burn victims or need skin grafts,” said Amy. “That gives me some comfort that he’s still helping out other people even though he’s no longer here.”