Ed Feigenbaum and Jim Shella on John Okeson

Our friends Ed Feigenbaum and Jim Shella both commented on the passing of John Okeson.

Ed Feigenbaum of the INGroup and Indiana Daily Insight was right when he wrote:

Condolences to the family of former Clerk of the Courts John Okeson, one of the few people we've encountered over the past two decades in the Hoosier Political milieu who was genuinely and universally liked and respected by Ds and Rs, staff and media, attorneys and judges, lobbyists and other elected officials, and just about everyone else.

Jim Shella is the longtime State House political reporter for WISH TV and the host of Indiana Week in Review on public televison. Jim Shella wrote his remembrance of John Okeson:

The untimely death of John Okeson hit the Statehouse hard today and he leaves friends all over the state.

I’ll miss John Okeson mostly because he was a good guy, the kind of guy who, when overseeing the legislative agenda for Governor Mitch Daniels, would give a reporter a straight answer when he had a direct question about a sensitive topic.

When John ran for re-election as Clerk of the Supreme Court he took part in a Shelbyville news conference one day along with other members of the Republican team at the time.  Photographer Jim Hester and I traveled to Shelbyville to catch up with Sue Anne Gilroy, who was also on the ticket.  John knew that, but, when he saw the camera rolling during his remarks, couldn’t help commenting to the crowd the Clerk’s race doesn’t always warrant television coverage.

That was Jim’s cue to turn off the TV light.  No one laughed more than John and he loved repeating the story even years later. 

He was a guy understood politics, people, and the media.  A guy who deserved to take part in future campaigns.

Comments

[Terry Hursh]

Mitch:
Heaven's gain is Indiana's loss. John was one of the most dedicated public servants I have known. What many might not know was how active he was with "quasi-public" nonprofits.

I asked him to serve on the Board of Directors for Lutheran Child and Family Services of Indiana-Kentucky when I served as its CEO. He accepted without hesitation,and despite his busy schedule I never recall him missing a meeting.
He brought even-handedness and clarity to the board. He also brought that great smile of his.

Ed. note:

Terry, something John told me from the days on the board of LSS IN/KY is something I have related to folks in the years since.

As you know, there were some meetings where, on one motion or another, John cast the lone "no" vote. This would be followed by a subtle swiveling of heads toward John's way from many of the other members of the board.

After one meeting, I asked John the reason for one of the "no" votes he cast; one that was really on a minor procedural question.

He replied, "To remind the other members that it is quite permissable to cast a "no" vote. Unanimity is not required."