A Michigan man who played a key part in constructing one of the longest bridges in the United States has been laid to rest 15 years after his passing. This took place following a surprising announcement from a funeral home located near the renowned bridge, revealing that it still had his remains.

Larry Rubin was laid to rest Wednesday in Petoskey, 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan’s two peninsulas.

For many years, Rubin was the chief staff member at the Mackinac Bridge Authority, responsible for overseeing the 5-mile (8 km) structure that stretches over the Straits of Mackinac. This bridge, which ranks as the third-longest suspension bridge in the nation, was inaugurated in 1957.

During the bridge’s construction, “he played a crucial role because the Authority required someone to implement their decisions. He served exceptionally well,” Barbara Brown, a former board member, stated on Friday.

Brown said she was “just shocked” when she saw Rubin’s name listed in the St. Ignace newspaper. A funeral home was informing the public that it had many unclaimed cremains. His family apparently didn’t pick them up after he died at age 97 in 2010.

Val Meyerson of Temple B’nai Israel in Petoskey was familiar with the Jewish section of Greenwood Cemetery and aware that Rubin’s first wife, Olga, was buried there in 1990. His name was already on the headstone in anticipation of eventual death.

Meyerson said friends from the Bridge Authority helped pay for Rubin’s interment. About two dozen people attended a graveside service led by a rabbi.

“We all took turns filling in the grave, which was quite an honor,” Brown said. “To have been neglected and forgotten for so long — it was moving.”