Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeFamily man. Farmer. Cattleman. War hero. Lawmaker.
It's difficult to sum up a lifetime of service with a handful of descriptors. These are just the first thoughts that come to mind when recalling the late Steve Hailey of Mesa.
Hailey, a Republican serving his first term as a state representative, died early Sunday after a nearly yearlong battle with colon cancer. He was 63.
Funeral services are scheduled at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Connell Community Center.
When Hailey announced two weeks ago that he planned to resign his 9th District seat in January because of the disease, many area residents read between the lines. This was it. He didn't have much longer to live.
You see, Steve Hailey was a fighter. He didn't go down easy. He went to bat for causes he believed in. His love for the land and his respect for his fellow farmers eventually led him to seek state office to work as an advocate for Eastern Washington agriculture.
If he was giving up a job he had worked so hard to get just two years earlier, the sad conclusion seemed all too clear: The disease was winning this final battle.
Hailey was a well-known figure in Franklin County, a third-generation farmer with a 2,500-acre ranch near Mesa. He was a graduate of Connell High School and Washington State University and a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War.
His heroics as a helicopter pilot flying Special Operations Group missions with the 195th Assault Helicopter Company drew much respect from his neighbors. They didn't grow a lot of military combat pilots in the small farming town.
For his service and bravery, Hailey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 28 Oak Leaf Clusters and Combat "V," and the Bronze Star.
You don't get those kinds of honors sitting on the sidelines. That wasn't Steve Hailey's way. He was one to get involved, not just talk about ideas and hope someone else followed through.
From the farm in Mesa, he found a path to promote and advocate for agriculture through numerous organizations. He served as president of the Washington Cattlemen's Association and was a member of the Franklin County Cattlemen's Association, the Washington Farm Bureau and the Washington Wheat Growers Association, to name a few.
He also served his community on the Franklin County Planning Commission, the Franklin County Fire District No. 1 board of commissioners and as a volunteer firefighter.
His final role of service was as state representative. His committee assignments included Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Select Committee on Environmental Health and Transportation.
Steve Hailey will be greatly missed by his constituents, his bright political career cut short by cancer.
But more than that, he will be missed by his friends and family. We offer our condolences to his wife Pat, their two children and the rest of the family.
As we enter a new year, it is a time of reflection. Steve Hailey did what he could to better his country and his community.
Let his legacy be the motivation for others to follow in his footsteps of service.
Editorials are the consensus of the Tri-City Herald editorial board.
Editorial board members are Rufus Friday, publisher; Chris Sivula, editorial page editor; Ken Robertson, executive editor; Matt Taylor, contributing editor; Lori Lancaster, editorial writer; Shelly Norman, editorial writer and Jack Briggs, retired publisher
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