DETROIT – Elmore Leonard has died at 87, three weeks after suffering a stroke.
Leonard passed away at his Detroit home, where he has lived since 1934. He is known for writing dozens of novels and short stories that have been transformed into movies or TV shows, including "Be Cool," "Get Shorty," "3:10 to Yuma," and "Mr. Majestyk."
Elmore graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 1943, and after joining the Navy, enrolled at the University of Detroit in 1946, where he earned a degree in English and philisophy.
He recently won a lifetime achievement award from the National Book Foundation. "For a half-century, Elmore Leonard has produced vibrant literary work with an inimitable writing style," the foundation's executive director Harold Augenbraum said.