BREAKING NEWS - Steve Minarik Dead
Former local Chair of the Republican Party, Steve Minarik, died this morning of a heart attack.
Minarik resigned in June after heading up the local GOP since 1992. He led a huge period of growth for the party, during which the party took control of the Monroe County executive’s office, legislature, and most suburban towns and town boards.
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Critics accused Minarik of being too divisive and holding too much sway over political decisions. In June, County Executive Maggie Brooks asked for his resignation.
Minarik suffered a stroke several years ago. He was 49 years old. Steve Minarik was our political foe. Today, of course, we put that to rest. Rochester Turning wishes peace to his family.
Steve Minarik
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My condolences and prayers to his family. 49 is too young to die. Regardless of which party line you carry, Steve Minarik was the master of his game. Rest in peace.
I guess now we’ll see if the puppets can dance without the man holding the strings.
Sorry to hear of anyone dying so young — and on Easter Sunday too. I wish his family well. Diabetes can be a bear.
Still I bet he wished that he had left a better and less mean spirited legacy. On this day of all days we might remember that winning isn’t everything
I don’t think there is any reason to lie about people after they die. He was a nasty, angry guy a lot of the time. He treated people like dirt to get what he wanted. If you were different than him, he judged you and couldn’t get along with you, in fact, he called you names and swore at you. That’s the kind of person he was. He didn’t care about anyone that was different from him. But somehow he was a successful politician. That says something horrible about the profession and it says something horrible about the leaders we choose in Rochester. Maggie Brooks sent condolences from “the community.” Someone as lame as you would never speak for me. Bill Reilich said Steve had his finger on the “pulse of the community.” What a bunch of bull. That tells me all I need to know about Bill. RIP Steve. You did what you did and I don’t think you would make any excuses.
It’s karma.
Check out the obituary in today’s D and C it was the topic of some disucssion on the SCATS blog.
Here is a snippet
Steve served as Chairman of the Monroe County Republican Committee from 1992 to 2008. He was the visionary of the most successful period in the history of the local GOP. His leadership and political acumen were unsurpassed, reestablishing Republican leadership in the County Executive’s Office, County Clerk’s Office and County Legislature, as well as nearly every town and village government. He was also responsible for the election of countless state legislators, congressman, and last (and least) judges.
I don’t ever recall a notice in the obituary section that was so political and pompous.
Was this written by the paper staff or the family submitted it? Either way, I don’t really have a problem with it. Even though we might disagree with him and viewed him as a political enemy, there’s no denying that he was very successful and effective for the GOP during the majority of his tenure. He was good at what he did and I’ve seen plenty of obituaries that trumpet people’s professional success.
You know what they say…if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
I’m not saying anything!
[...] a look at how the Democrat and Chronicle and City News address the unexpected passing of former State and local GOP chair Steve Minarik. No, we are not dancing on anyone’s grave [...]
I can only hope those who are being so disrespectful never have the misfortune of losing a loved one, only to see such nasty and hateful comments left by strangers. Have you no empathy or compassion? Or is that reserved only for those with whom you agree 100%? Taking this tragedy as an opportunity to be politically disrespectful and nasty is beyond my comprension when there is a wife, children and extended family struggling through grief and mourning. What shameful and pitiful behavior. The family has my utmost sympathies. Please know not all human beings are so inhumane and unfeeling.
Where exactly is the disrespect Brenda? At least in this thread. I mean Jimme makes some points on Mr Minarik’s professional behavior but what am I missing?
Comments leading to the lionizing of Mr Minarik’s accomplishment’s are certainly fair game. As far as I can tell or see that is all that is going on here. but Commenters can defend themselves and are responsible for their own words.
Brenda, I hope you are referring to comments you saw elsewhere, not here. I have seen some truly nasty stuff written about Steve Minarik on other sites. It got so ugly the D&C pulled theirs from view. Way over the top compared to what I see on our site. As I said (above) on Sunday: He was our political foe, but now we put that to rest.
No, while I am sure there are worse things being said elsewhere, I think the following quotes suffice as disrespectful and at the minimum very inappropriate while a family is in mourning….
“mean spirited legacy”
“a nasty, angry guy…..He treated people like dirt to get what he wanted…… he called you names and swore at you….He didn’t care about anyone …..” If you take one of your own loved ones and imagine someone saying these things about them to you right at the time when you were hurting the most and grieving their loss, do you think that would help you or hurt you?
The rest of Jimmie’s comments go on to take a moment of grieving for the family and turn it into his own political commentary about what “his community” is about. I find that at best hugely inappropriate and at worst politically opportunistic.
“It’s karma.” meaning, his death is deserved and appropriate
“pompous”
“You know what they say…if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
I’m not saying anything!” yet you just did…..you just said you had nothing to say that was nice….what WOULD have been nice would have been to actually say and post nothing whatsoever.
If anyone can honestly say that they could see these comments written about a loved one at the time of their death and not find it all to be hurtful and disrespectful I would be stunned. I don’t know the man & don’t live in Rochester, but I know death and I know grieving and mourning and have seen it first hand in the past week up close, as well as many times over the course of my life. No one needs this when they are grieving. If you have something negative to say, keep it private and don’t worsen the pain his family is feeling, that’s all.
Brenda, I agree that some of the comments go a little too far, and they certainly aren’t things you’d hear from ME upon somebody’s passing. However…. Steve Minarik was a public figure, not the neighborhood mechanic, and he frequently bounded over the polite lines of civility himself. So, it’s a case “live by the sword, die by the sword” to some degree. As stlo7 points out in today’s post, we can acknowledge Mr. Minarik’s passing and remember his accomplishments, without whitewashing his record. Bee
Brenda
It s a shame when someone, anyone dies young. Maybe what the paper says about him reconciling with others is true. But he is now dead and that process won’t continue. he should have started it earlier.
The problem is as a public figure the legacy Steve Minarik left is open for debate and discussion. We must assess that legacy as it stands not as it might have stood. When he choose public life and his family accepted it, he choose a path in which that public assessment is legitimate
Sadly he was mean in public and some of his election tactics were as low — really lower — than some of the criticisms you point to. And he built a legacy of rule by his party that was not public spirited. Worse look at what it has done to our area.
I don’t take lightly Steve’s use of racist themes to run campaigns or his willingness to drive out those he disagreed with.What about the damage done to their lives and our community? I think they have the right to speak up at this time.
Even in politics winning isn’t everything
I learned a very long time ago, that when a life is lost, there is nothing more to hate. That works on both sides Brenda. Often times it’s not just anger spent on a political figure, but within families themselves. You can see it happen time and time again, and it serves to accomplish nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I stand by what I said. 49 years of age is too young to die, and regardless of whatever political party you belong to, there are four children who have lost a father, and a wife who lost a husband. And I’m sure many more that we are not aware of who feel his loss.
Like it or not - Minarik was good at his game. And he will always be remembered for that. Good, bad or indifferent. He was a master at the game of politics. He played the ultimate chess game to win, and often times did.
Now let him rest in peace.
The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.
Condolences to those who truly loved him.
The take home lesson for the rest of us is to look after your health. It is obvious that Minarik was obese and had serious Type A personality. He had a family history of heart disease (he had a minor stroke back in 2001 - when he was 41!), so it must have been obvious that he was risking his life with the lifestyle choices he made. His obit said that after 2001 he picked up a passion for “NASCAR and country music” (http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/04/rip-steve-minarik.html). Better that he had picked up a passion for meditation and bicycling.
TV news is reporting that Maggie Brooks did not even attend Minark’s funeral. Perhaps there is another good reason, but on the surface it looks like their falling out was even deeper than it appeared.
Anyone got a line on that?
Maybe she’s getting ready to make that HUGE announcement that stlo was hinting at. It is Friday and that’s when they try to slide things in. I would think even if they had a huge falling out, she’s show up anyway so as to not start speculation.
Word floating around says Maggie was not welcome at the funeral. If that’s true, and she stayed away to respect the family’s wishes, let’s give her a brownie point… this time.
No Maggie but Dave Berry and John Durso among the pall bearers.
Did Auberger show up?
[...] GOP kingmaker unexpected passes away - RIP Steve Minarik. Check out these two editorials on Steve Minarik. One has context - the other, well, [...]