The Summit County community said goodbye Saturday to “just a guy from Mogadore,” with more than 1,300 people gathering in downtown Akron for a memorial service honoring former County Executive Russ Pry.
The service, held at the John S. Knight Center, swung often between melancholy and laughter, as friends and colleagues shared stories about his life, commitment to others and accomplishments as a political leader.
“But no matter his successes, Russ would always tell you that he’s just a guy from Mogadore,” said his friend Phil Montgomery, who led the memorial.
Pry was 58 when he died July 31 of complications from colon cancer. He had been county executive for more than nine years, previously serving for a decade as head of the county Democratic Party.
His political career also included time on the Mogadore Village Council, having been elected to the council at age 19, and the county elections board.
Wide influence
In his time as county executive, Pry, an attorney, helped craft deals to keep Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Bridgestone Americas in Akron.
He also ended a longtime feud with the county fair board, built a veterans center and animal shelter, created the annual Summit for Kids Community Expo and launched efforts to combat infant mortality and raise awareness about mental health issues.
Montgomery announced that Pry, thanks to his efforts with Goodyear and Bridgestone, will be honored next year posthumously with the H. Peter Burg Award.
The award, given by the Greater Akron Chamber, recognizes a local business leader “who has worked to enhance local and regional economic and community development.”
At the memorial, in front of a large photo of a smiling Pry shown on a video screen, U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, and Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, former Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, county Domestic Relations Judge Carol Dezso and friend Michael Cassetty took turns talking about their friend and colleague.
Although they tried, Horrigan noted, there weren’t enough adjectives to describe him.
Selfless. Giving. Humble. Passionate. Respected. Humorous. Brilliant. Kind. Quiet. Principled. Loyal.
“Russ was a force for good,” Fudge said.
Huge loss felt
They all described his death as a tremendous loss for the community.
In one of the more light-hearted moments, Plusquellic, who comically apologized for what was to come, rattled off several reasons why Pry is no longer here. Among them:
• “Maybe God just needed to have someone to do Jager shots with.”
• “Maybe God knew there needed to be change in heaven and he needed a good fundraiser for change.”
• “Maybe God really just needed a good honest attorney. My guess is there aren’t a whole lot of them up there.”
Cassetty, a longtime friend and former law partner, recounted a story about Pry that summed up his personality.
Pry had invited Cassetty’s then-5-year-old son Thomas to ride in a parade with him the first time that Pry ran for county executive. Cassetty instructed his son, who had met Pry several times before, to address him as “Mr. Pry” because he was an important man.
So that’s what Thomas did.
Pry, though, asked the boy to call him “Russ.” His son replied that he couldn’t because his father had told him that he was very important.
“Without missing a beat,” Cassetty said, “Russ says, ‘Well then, thank you, Mr. Cassetty for that lesson. I need to refer to you as the same way because you are just as important as I am.’ ”
“He was one of the finest men that I have ever known,” Cassetty said in closing.
Celebration of life
The service also included Carla Davis singing Over the Rainbow, one of Pry’s favorite songs, and Amazing Grace. Pianist Tatsuya Nagashima also performed Grieg: Prelude from Holberg Suite.
The Rev. Deniela Williams, senior pastor of the New Millennium Baptist Church, led the invocation.
Following the memorial service, friends and colleagues gathered at a celebration at Tangier in Akron. The party — Pry wanted his friends to celebrate and not mourn — then spilled over to the Rockne’s Pub across the street, where more stories were shared and toasts were made.
Rockne’s was his favorite haunt.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.