GUEST COLUMN: Passing of George Voinovich Marks End of an Era

June 23, 2016 by Diane Ryder

With the passing of George Voinovich, it also signifies the end of a great era in American government and politics — the end of honor, respect, cooperation, compromise and working together for the common good.

These values, which we used to hold dear in this country not too long ago, were embodied in George Voinovich, and we mourn both his passing and the end of a system that has served our country well since the time of the Founding Fathers.

George was the last we will see of the truly great American leaders. He was first and foremost a man of honor. He was loyal to his faith, his family, his country, his state, his city, and his fellow man. He believed in service, and spent his adult life serving his fellow citizens as a state representative, county auditor, mayor, governor, and senator. His long career earned the respect of all, whether or not they agreed with him.

He developed a well-earned reputation for managing the city, county, state or the country with a tight rein on the purse strings, but an understanding that in order to get things done, you must work together with people of diverse philosophies and beliefs. He was a master at bringing groups to consensus, recognizing that no one gets everything they want in a compromise, but everyone gets something.

That system, built by our wise founders, has worked for more than two centuries.

But the amazing thing about George was that, despite his countless accomplishments, he was first and foremost a public servant. He shunned the limelight, preferring to work behind the scenes quietly and let everyone else get the credit when something turned out well, or take the blame when it didn’t. He was content to get the job done.

My husband, Ed, and I have known George and Janet for almost a half century. George was our young state representative and we campaigned for him in the early days. When George was elected Cuyahoga County Auditor, Ed was selected to take his place in the Ohio Legislature. Ed was a 23-year-old, recently married Cleveland State University graduate. George guided and encouraged him, and served as his inspiration through the years. They didn’t always agree on every issue, but they always were able to discuss their differences of opinion with mutual respect.

Once, several years later, when George was governor of Ohio, Ed and I saw George and Janet sitting in the back of a commercial airplane headed for Florida. We were surprised, since he had access to the state plane, as well as a contingent of guards, but there they were, quietly sitting in coach.

George explained that he and Janet had decided to fly down to Florida for a weekend of fishing and it wouldn’t be right to let the taxpayers foot the bill.

When George was in the Senate, he and Janet got a small one bedroom apartment within walking distance of Capitol Hill because they liked to walk or ride bikes instead of relying on taxpayer-funded cars and drivers.

Years later, when George was still in the Senate, we invited him out to Geauga County for a fundraiser. He and Janet showed up in their old Ford Taurus station wagon, running a few minutes late. He apologized, explaining that it had been such a nice day that the two of them had been planting tulips in their yard after church and had lost track of the time.

I’m sure that everyone has similar stories about George. He was the most successful and best respected public servant of our lifetime, with the possible exception of Ronald Reagan. He was a man who loved his family deeply, lived his faith, and led by example. There was never a hint of scandal about him. His word was his bond. He did what he said he would do. He believed in reaching out to people to work together for the common good. It was always about the people, never about HIM.

Those values today, in this age of polarization, “gotcha” politics, finger pointing and corruption at every level of government, are considered hopelessly out of date. God help us. If this country, the greatest nation in the history of the world, is to survive, we desperately need fewer Clintons, Obamas and Trumps, and more Voinoviches.

Thank you, George. And God bless your memory.

Diane Ryder lives in Bainbridge Township and is a freelance writer for the Geauga County Maple Leaf