John Stroger : 1929 - 2008 - Gentleman politician always ‘about people’ - Path from precinct captain to party stalwart made John Stroger a health-care champion and a target for critics of old-style politics
Chicago Tribune (IL) - Saturday, January 19, 2008
Author: Gary Washburn, TRIBUNE REPORTER\ Tribune reporters Mickey Ciokajlo, Robert Becker and Jeffrey Meitrodt contributed to this report.
John Stroger , who rose through the ranks of local Democratic politics from assistant precinct captain to powerful ward boss to become the first African-American elected Cook County Board president, died Friday after a long illness.
Mr. Stroger was best known for his efforts to expand county-provided health services to the poor, exemplified by the hospital that bears his name. But his tenure also was marked by criticism that he was an old-style politician who put a priority on using government to help his friends and family members.
“Every Democratic official elected in the last 40 years throughout the state owed President Stroger because he could deliver,” said William Beavers, a longtime friend, political ally and current County Board member.
A week before the March 2006 primary, Mr. Stroger suffered a debilitating stroke. Though the extent of his illness was shrouded in secrecy and became the source of controversy, he won the primary but never recovered and never appeared in public again.
Months later, Mr. Stroger formally retired from the County Board presidency. Democratic Party leaders picked his son Todd, a Chicago alderman at the time, to replace him on the ballot, and Todd Stroger won election that fall.
Mr. Stroger , 78, died at 8 a.m., according to Todd Stroger ‘s office.
(snip)
Mr. Stroger died at Warren Barr Pavilion, a long-term care facility at 66 W. Oak St., said Gene Mullins, a family friend and spokesman. Mr. Stroger had shuttled between his home and the facility as his doctors and nurses advised, Mullins said.
He had been in stable condition “and he just suffered complications from the stroke,” Mullins said, declining to provide details. Another friend who last visited him several months ago said Mr. Stroger had to communicate with hand signals.
(snip)
I remember press about him being totally
incapacitated from the stroke, and the
son refused to admit it .. played that
scenario for months ...no press coverage,
all smoke and mirrors. It was a big secret,
the state his father was really in ... until
somehow everything’s orchestrated and one day
the father is declared dead, and the son
magically takes his place.
I think it’s likely he was comatose the whole
time .. think weekend at Ernie’s.
It was the Chicago thug machine soap opera
on speed.