State Rep. Mike Reese of Mt. Pleasant Township dead at 42
brain aneurysm. He was recovering from a covid infection
Saturday, January 2, 2021
https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/state-rep-mike-reese-dead-at-42/
State Rep. Mike Reese, elected in November to his seventh term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, died Saturday at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg following an apparent brain aneurysm.
Reese, 42, of Mt. Pleasant Township, was a 12-year House veteran representing Westmoreland and Somerset county residents in the 59th Legislative District.
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In early December, Reese contracted the coronavirus and quarantined for several weeks. He had been on the mend when he recently fell ill.
He is survived by his wife, Angela, and their three young children.
“Mike was one of my best friends,” said state Rep. George Dunbar, R-Penn Township. “He was always a family man whose whole life revolved around this three children. He was probably the most respected member of the House.”
Dunbar and Reese shared an office at the state capitol for about six years until late last year. The two talked almost daily, Dunbar said.
“I just spoke to him on New Year’s Eve. He had just run five miles when we talked, and he was about to take his son out hunting,” Dunbar said. “This is a great loss for Westmoreland County and a great loss for his family.”
District voters in November reelected Reese. He was unopposed.
Reese was a rising member of the state’s Republican Party. In November, he was elected to serve in a leadership role as the Republican Party majority caucus leader.
“I have known Mike since he took office in 2009 and have been proud to witness his many legislative accomplishments,” Majority Leader Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, said in a statement released Saturday afternoon. “Specifically, his tireless work on behalf of Pennsylvania’s students and families. Mike was a model legislator who thoughtfully put his constituents first. His spirit, presence and counsel will be sorely missed.”
Reese started out his political career when he was appointed chief of staff to Westmoreland County Commissioner Terry Marolt in 2004. Reese served in the same role for Commissioner Phil Light after he was appointed in 2005 following Marolt’s death.
Reese was transferred to the county’s budget and finance office after Light left office in 2008.
Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes said he first met Reese in 2009.
“It was when I first started to get into politics and Mike was a mentor, with his being a former chief of staff to a commissioner. He told me all the dos and don’ts,” Kertes said.
A decade later, Kertes rose from his chief of staff role to an elected county commissioner and still courted Reese’s advice.
“He believed that the state delegation and commissioners should be working together and we did,” Kertes said. “Mike was always an honest and stand-up guy who was devoted to his family.”
Reese unsuccessfully ran in the Republican primary for county commissioner in 2007, but a year later won his first election to replace his retiring political mentor, Jess Stairs, as a representative in the state House.
Reese previously worked in the admissions office of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and was a teacher and counselor at the Pressley Ridge School, a non-profit organization that offers services to help children and families facing difficult and challenging circumstances. He also worked for Westmoreland County Community College as an adjunct member of its business faculty.
“Rep. Reese wasn’t just a colleague. He was a genuinely great guy and a dear friend,” Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug Chew said. “He was approachable and not judgemental. He listened as much as he led.
By 42, he created more positive change in this world than most people do in a lifetime. I always learned from him, and our lives are so enriched because we knew him.
“The community has lost an amazing man, but the leadership example he gave us will last for a very long time.”
“The loss of Rep. Mike Reese will be felt by his family, friends and the people of his district, as well as his faith community at St. Florian Parish in Mt. Pleasant and the entire Diocese of Greensburg,” said Bishop-elect Larry Kulick. “I knew him to be a man of faith who worked tirelessly in service to others.”
Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts Bryan Kline called Reese a great friend who will be missed.
“This is a tragic loss for his family, friends and his constituents,” Kline said. “Mike was a down-to-earth guy, a great friend and will be missed by all.”