Staff Writer| Akron Beacon Journal
Summit County Executive Russ Pry had planned to return to work Monday after recovering from colon cancer surgery in June.
But the 58-year-old Democrat died Sunday following a series of health setbacks, including a tear in his small intestine in July that left him hospitalized for weeks.
Pry’s office Friday hinted that his recovery wasn’t going as planned, announcing that Pry — who served as county executive for nine years — wouldn’t seek a third full term in November because of health concerns.
There was no indication that Pry might not survive.
Pry’s chief of staff, Jason Dodson, said Friday he expected his boss to serve out his term, which ends Dec. 31. But on Sunday, Dodson instead wrote the release announcing Pry’s death.
In it, he said Pry would be remembered as a leader who helped restore stability in county government, steered it through the recession following the 2008 housing collapse and worked for military veterans, children and the less fortunate.
“He was a leader that came along at the right time, and will be sorely missed by this community,” the release said.
The Summit County Charter dictates that the County Council president, who is Ilene Shapiro, will immediately succeed Pry.
But the Summit County Democratic Party must appoint someone to finish out Pry’s term and decide who should appear on November’s ballot against Republican candidate Bill Roemer, who is seeking the county executive job.
On Saturday, Shapiro announced that she plans to run for county executive.
Pry’s sudden death is the second major leadership shakeup in Summit County in the past 15 months.
In May 2015, Don Plusquellic — a friend of Pry’s — abruptly walked away from being Akron mayor after holding the office 27 years.
Akron Councilman Jeff Fusco, chair of the Summit County Democratic Party, acknowledged Sunday this is a time of transition.
“But I have faith in our community and in people stepping up,” he said. “Ilene Shapiro is taking a deep breath and, right now, all of Summit County needs to take a deep breath and be supportive of her.”
The next county executive inherits a legacy that Pry built, Fusco said.
“We have a reputation now of being extremely collaborative, of having a culture that says let’s all work together and work through these issues,” Fusco said. “That kind of leadership is what Russ left to this community.”
Office in Mogadore
Russ Pry wasn’t old enough to drink a martini when he first won elected office, at least under today’s liquor laws.
It was 1978. Pry — who went by “Rusty” at the time — was 19 and sitting on Mogadore’s village council.
In coming years, he would earn a law degree from the University of Akron, serve as lawyer for Boston Heights, Mogadore schools and Green firefighters and serve as treasurer for the Summit County Democratic Party.
And in 1996, as Pry watched his fellow Democrats help elect President Bill Clinton and U.S. Rep. Tom Sawyer, he also noticed cracks in the Summit County Democrats.
Even though Democrats far outnumbered Republicans in Summit County, the tightly run, well-funded GOP organization chaired by Alex Arshinkoff won 16 of 33 races from the top to the bottom that year.
“I think I understand what the party is made up of ... and some of its problems,” Pry said before landing the job as local party chairman in 1998.
At the time, the local party had $700 in the bank, no headquarters and no paid staffers.
It did, however, have a history of turmoil.
“I expect to get my head kicked in,” Pry said.
If he did, it didn’t make news. Pry instead built consensus among the party, raised money and won elections, building a reputation as a collaborator.
“Everyone knew him, still knows him throughout the state,” Fusco said. “He pulled us through tough times, advanced the party.”
A decade later, when Summit County Executive Jim McCarthy stepped down in 2007 following a contentious relationship with County Council, party leaders turned to Pry to do for the county government what he did for the county’s Democratic Party.
People who hadn’t watched Pry help turn around his party didn’t know what to expect.
Within months, Pry was working alongside Plusquellic, steering the county’s economic development role in convincing Bridgestone-Firestone to stay in Akron and Goodyear headquarters to expand.
At the same time, Pry set a new tone with County Council and worked to consolidate government services, saving costs in a system with a history rich in patronage.
Those efforts earned him the endorsem*nt of the Beacon Journal’s editorial board in 2008 when Pry sought his first full term.
“The significance of the county executive taking such a lead shouldn’t be underestimated,” the newspaper wrote.
Over the next four years, Pry continued his push for economic development, reaching out to other governments, businesses and development agencies.
At the same time, political up-and-comers were learning from Pry.
“He wasn’t interested in the personal glory, he was interested in the outcome,” Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said Sunday night.
Pry didn’t pound his fist on a table to make a point. He made it, Horrigan said, by explaining how his ideas would help people.
Horrigan, who served as Summit County clerk of courts before becoming mayor, said he and Pry often had disagreements.
“But it was never personal and I never doubted where he was coming from,” Horrigan said, reaching into the lyrical realm of musician Elvis Costello to make his point. “His aim was true.”
Pry earned the newspaper’s endorsem*nt for re-election in 2012, too.
“Pry correctly points to the challenge of getting the many parts of county government working together,” the endorsem*nt said. “What he must keep in mind is the need for assertive leadership, the executive’s office taking the point position in finding solutions.”
Good start to year
This year, his ninth as county executive, seemed to start out well for Pry.
On Jan. 4, during the first County Council meeting of 2016, Pry delivered good news: Summit County wouldn’t have to tap into its reserve fund to cover the extra pay period, a 27th, that happened in 2015.
Department heads spent less than they needed and could cover the $5.2 million. “Everyone was very careful in how they spent taxpayers’ money,” he said.
In March, Pry helped roll out Conexus, a new way to connect Summit County employers with new employees.
Conexus is a partnership among businesses, public schools, education and training organizations, nonprofits and others that grew out of a review of Summit Workforce Solutions.
People with jobs, Pry said, “are less likely to be in the welfare system, you are less likely to be in my jail, you are more likely to be happy.”
And in April, Pry used his annual State of the County speech to launch a campaign to boost awareness of local mental health and mental illnesses.
“Did you know that one in five Americans has a diagnosable mental health disorder and sadly, only 40 percent receive the help they need?” Pry asked an audience of about 660 gathered to hear him speak at the John S. Knight Center.
“The goal of the Campaign to Change Direction is to change the culture of mental health so that all of those in need receive the care and support they deserve.”
Second surgery
Some time after that, Pry had a routine colonoscopy and testing. On June 14, Pry announced he had cancer.
He planned to have laparoscopic surgery at Cleveland Clinic Akron General and be healed and back to work Aug. 1.
But there were complications. In early July, Pry had a second surgery to repair a tear in his small intestine.
Pry’s chief of staff, Dodson, said the tear was unrelated to the cancer, but was likely aggravated by stress.
“Everything is good,” Dodson said at the time.
Pry’s new push for mental health kicked off July 23 at Lock 3 with “Bringing Mental Health to Main Street.”
There were food trucks, informational booths, testimonials from those dealing with mental illness.
Someone on stage read a letter from first lady Michelle Obama praising Summit County for the effort.
Pry would have loved it, friends and colleagues said.
But Pry wasn’t there. He remained hospitalized.
On Friday, Dodson notified the media Pry wouldn’t seek re-election in November because of his health.
All county employees were also notified.
Less than 48 hours later, rumors spread through Summit County that Pry had died Sunday afternoon.
Dodson confirmed Pry’s death just after 5 p.m., triggering a myriad of sympathy statements from the University of Akron, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, all mourning his passing.
About 8:30 p.m., Horrigan was still absorbing the news.
“We were friends first,” Horrigan said. “He was also good friends to CEOs, heads of [agencies], foundations, people outside of the state, inside of the state.”
Nothing was fluff with Pry, Horrigan said. He always had an action plan to get things done.
“And that’s what he left us,” Horrigan said. “That’s his legacy, our model to go forward, to carry on.”
