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Fans pay tribute to Ilitch at Fox Theatre

Fans have started coming to the Fox Theatre Wednesday to pay tribute to Detroit icon Mike Ilitch.

"I took the bus to get down here around 7 this morning," lifelong Detroiter Jim Warren said. "I'm so grateful for what Mr. Ilitch has done. I wouldn't miss this."

Ilitch will lie in repose from noon to 8 p.m. in the theater's Grand Lobby. The owner of Little Caesars Pizza, the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings died Friday at age 87 after a lingering illness.

Ilitch and his wife bought the historic Fox in 1987 and restored it, setting the stage for an entertainment revival in downtown Detroit.