Jacksonville City Council members reflect on memories of Tommy Hazouri

3 years ago 271

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Democrat Tommy Hazouri, who served Jacksonville successful 1 capableness oregon different for 5 decades, died Saturday pursuing complications from a lung transplant helium had past year. He was 76.

The erstwhile mayor, legislator and schoolhouse committee subordinate astir precocious served connected the Jacksonville City Council, including arsenic its president past year.

[WATCH: Press play supra for afloat video from City Council reflections connected Tommy Hazouri]

While mounting a day for a peculiar predetermination to capable Hazouri’s spot -- Dec. 7 -- his chap assembly members besides took clip during their gathering past night, the archetypal since his passing, to stock their memories of Hazouri.

Councilman Al Ferraro said nary substance however often helium and Hazouri disagreed, they recovered a mode to creaseless things implicit and get along.

“I told him, ‘Tommy, if this gathering ever caught connected fire, I would transportation you down these stairs.’ And helium said, ‘I wouldn’t fto you bash that to maine due to the fact that you’d beryllium lecturing maine the full mode down,’” Ferraro recalled. “No substance wherever I spell successful this city, whether radical agreed with him politically oregon not, they seemed to ever accidental a benignant connection astir him, truthful that’s however I volition retrieve him.”

Councilman Matt Carlucci, who was bully friends with Hazouri, said Hazouri accomplished a batch arsenic assembly president past twelvemonth and “did much for this metropolis than anyone tin ever imagine.”

“Tommy’s beingness was an odyssey, and I’m gladsome I could beryllium on connected that odyssey successful the past 40 thing years,” Carlucci said.

Councilman Garrett Dennis said Hazouri “had his ways astir him” but contempt his quirks, “he ever looked retired for you.”

“That’s however I’ll retrieve Tommy, ever wanting to brag you around, being that large member and teasing and joking. So I’m gonna miss him,” Dennis said.

Councilwoman Joyce Morgan called him “Mr. Jacksonville, and Councilman Terrance Freeman said the assembly mislaid a household member.

Councilwoman Brenda Priestly Jackson fought emotion arsenic she remembered her past speech with Hazouri.

“He wasn’t a recycle oregon a retread,” she said. “He was a nationalist servant until the time helium transitioned -- and that’s a exemplary I privation to emulate.”

The assembly members each swapped stories -- of the archetypal clip they met Hazouri, their favourite Hazouri moments oregon jokes, the qualities they astir admired successful him oregon the quirky traits they volition astir miss.

“I learned truthful overmuch from him. Not astir him, but astir me, including knowing that radical instrumentality antithetic paths to wherever they are,” Councilman Michael Boylan said.

Current Council President Sam Newby adjacent joked that Hazouri’s committedness to the metropolis is truthful strong, it apt isn’t over.

“He astir apt told the angels, from 5 to 10 I’m going to beryllium watching City Council due to the fact that I privation to marque definite Sam Newby does what he’s expected to do,” Newby said. “Tommy, I emotion you, I cognize you’re looking down connected us, and convey you for each that you person done for maine and for Jacksonville. Thank you, and God bless.”

Hazouri volition beryllium honored with a memorial work astatine 10 a.m. Thursday astatine the Mandarin Presbyterian Church followed by a graveside work astatine Oaklawn Cemetery.

Family and friends are invited to a visitation Wednesday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. astatine the Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn Chapel connected San Jose Boulevard.

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