When I opened up Bluesky today, journalist Brahm Resnik posted about the passing of Harry E. Mitchell, the long-time Tempe politician and a mentor and guiding light for many future politicos.
He shared something from X posted by Harry's son Mark, himself a former Mayor of Tempe.
I talk about him as a politician, because I knew him from politics (his 2006 campaign for Congress was the first campaign that I ever volunteered for) and many of the folks posting tributes to him are politicians also, but more than a politician he was a devoted father, husband, grandfather, teacher, and friend.
From ASU's The State Press, written by Matt Stone, dated 1/22/2007, a picture of the statue in Tempe dedicated to Mitchell, erected before his election to Congress -
While I barely knew Marianne (met her once or twice, I think) and wasn't close to Harry, I do have one Harry-only story to share (politics-related, of course.)
While he and I didn't always agree on issues, I did learn a lot from him. Especially about retail politics.
During his 2006 campaign for Congress, he appeared at an event at Tempe's Temple Emanuel.
Also there was his opponent, and the contrast couldn't have been starker.
I've always believed that his opponent firmly believed in shaking the hand of everyone at an event, And I think that succeeded in doing that. He didn't look anyone in the eye or otherwise acknowledge their existence, though.
Harry, on the other hand, while he did not shake the hands of everyone there, he talked to everyone he greeted, warmly and personally.
And he greeted a lot of them.
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