A little over one year after his term began, Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins, 70, a political independent, succumbed Friday to the cardiac arrest that struck him while he checked on the condition of city streets during Sunday’s snow emergency.
The man who spent most of his adult life in service of Toledo — a Marine veteran, retired police officer, union leader, councilman, and ultimately the city’s mayor — was remembered in the hours after his death as a compassionate, tenacious, and sometimes aggressive leader.
Mayor Collins was automatically succeeded by City Council President Paula Hicks-Hudson, as required by the city charter.
PHOTO GALLERY: Click here to view more photos
RELATED: Hicks-Hudson vows continuity
RELATED: D. Michael Collins: 1944-2015: Toledo mayor ‘a true old-fashion Irish leader’
BURRIS: Tribute to a public servant, Irish scrapper
FEATURED EDITORIAL: D. Michael Collins
Ms. Hicks-Hudson, 63, a Democrat, was elected in 2011 to represent District 4 and was elected council president in 2013. Her district includes the downtown and adjacent neighborhoods.
Mayor Collins was removed from life-support at the University of Toledo Medical Center on Friday, and he died about 1:25 p.m., city spokesman Stacy Weber said.
Condolences poured in from public officials who had come to know Mr. Collins, as well as those who have known him for his years of police and public service in Toledo.
“It’s sad because he went through so much — probably more in one year than other mayors did in all four years,” said Councilman Tom Waniewski. “The irony is that he died of a bad heart, and he had such a good heart.”
Mr. Collins was found unconscious about 1:48 p.m. Sunday at the wheel of the 2011 GMC Terrain assigned to him, stuck in the snow on Hill Avenue near Parkside Boulevard. Despite efforts by two good Samaritans and two emergency dispatchers, and the rapid response of paramedics, the mayor apparently lost valuable minutes of oxygen supply because of the cardiac arrest.
At UTMC, the former Medical College of Ohio, he was administered the anointing of the sick by a Catholic priest, during which Mr. Collins’ eyes opened briefly.
Cardiologist Dr. Christopher Cooper, senior vice president of clinical affairs for the teaching hospital, choked up as he told the public in a live-broadcast news conference Sunday that he could not predict the likelihood of Mr. Collins’ recovery.
On Monday, Dr. Cooper described a procedure, known as therapeutic hypothermia, that was being used to lower Mr. Collins’ temperature, along with heavy sedation, aimed at relieving pressure to allow Mr. Collins to recover.
There were no more live news conferences after that, as Mr. Collins’ wife, Sandra Drabik, and his three grown daughters stayed by his bedside. Friends and associates went into the hospital daily, emerging with no information for the public.
On Tuesday night, some 400 people attended a prayer service in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in South Toledo. At City Council that night, Councilman Lindsay Webb prayed publicly for a miracle.
Though he was thought to be suffering from a persistent cold, it was not known whether Mr. Collins had any heart-related condition. During his 2013 campaign, he refused a request by The Blade for a detailed medical report, pronouncing himself fit for the rigors of office.
Chief of Staff Bob Reinbolt said during the week that Mr. Collins worked hard, often attending evening meetings alone.
The day of his cardiac arrest, he had already attended Mass, participated in a news conference with Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp to declare a Level 3 snow emergency, and picked up a few things at Costco before checking streets as he headed home.
Sympathy expressed
Former Mayor Mike Bell, whom Mr. Collins defeated in 2013, took to Twitter to express his sympathies, calling his one-time opponent “a servant to this country and city.”
Councilman Mike Craig found himself at odds with Mayor Collins several times during the last 13 months regarding things like street repaving, but said he always respected the man.
“He had a long public service career — he was in the military, police, on council, and mayor,” Mr. Craig said. “His entire adult life has been in public service.” He said Mr. Collins, as a councilman, outworked his colleagues.
Police Chief George Kral received news of Mr. Collins’ death at the funeral visitation for Officer Mike Greenwood, who died of an apparent heart attack Sunday while shoveling snow.
“I was already sad, but that just made it worse,” Chief Kral said.
Chief Kral said he knew Mr. Collins for 24 years. He described him as energetic, smart, and a friend.
“He’s got more tenacity than any five people I know put together,” the chief said.
Gov. John Kasich ordered flags around the state lowered to half staff. He called Mr. Collins “a terrific man.”
“I valued his friendship, and this is a tremendous loss for both Toledo and the state,” the governor said. “My prayers go out to his wife, Sandy, and to his daughters, and like so many others who were fortunate enough to know him, I will miss him.”
A native of Toledo, Mr. Collins was a U.S. Marine, a police officer for 27 years — including 11 years as union president, a part-time instructor at the University of Toledo, and a city councilman before his election as mayor.
Police Officer Dan Wagner, president of the Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association, said it was Mr. Collins’ representation of him in a disciplinary case that kindled his interest in the union.
“I thanked him for defending me. He said, ‘I’m not defending you. You did nothing wrong. I’m representing you.’ That always stuck with me,” Mr. Wagner said. He said he learned from Mr. Collins to “fight your arguments with facts, not emotions.”
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio) was in Toledo on Friday and met with Ms. Hicks-Hudson and offered her his assistance. He commended Mayor Collins as a “classic public servant” who was not concerned with political affiliation.
“We worked closely on the toxic algal bloom issue, even before the water quality problem. We also worked on abandoned homes. He cared a lot about that issue. He cared a lot about dealing with the dredging in the harbor,” Mr. Portman recalled.
Sergio Marchionne, the chief executive of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, said in a statement, “On this sad occasion, we recall his long and dedicated service to the City of Toledo and more specifically, his tireless support for the FCA US Toledo Assembly Complex. We will truly miss his leadership and send our deepest sympathy to his family and to the people of Toledo.”
Oregon police Chief Mike Navarre, a former Toledo police chief, said he was shocked by Mr. Collins’ collapse and met with Mr. Collins’ wife Friday morning.
“She was as positive as you can be under those circumstances,” he said. He said he and Mr. Collins knew each other since about 1977 and spoke often during Mr. Collins’ tenure as union president and later as a city official.
He said Mr. Collins was knowledgeable and loved the city and police department, acted with integrity, and did his research.
“Mike is one of those union guys that knows when to fight and when not to fight,” Chief Navarre said.
Mr. Waniewski suggested naming the Northwest District Police Station after Mr. Collins because he reopened it in 2014 after it was closed in a budget move.
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) said she was immediately saddened upon hearing the mayor had died, but also grateful for his contributions.
“He loved serving this city,” Miss Kaptur said. “Were all moments whipped cream? No. There were many difficult moments.”
Miss Kaptur said Mr. Collins’ first year as mayor was marked by difficult challenges.
“He shepherded us through,” she said.
News of the mayor’s death spread quickly through political circles, with each of the three Lucas County commissioners receiving the news.
Honoring Collins
Commissioners said that, to honor Mayor Collins, everyone in the city — residents and officials alike — should show compassion for one another, work together, and help someone who needs it.
“The mayor was such a warm and caring person in everything he did, in all of his acts both privately and publicly,” said Commissioner Carol Contrada. “We have to continue to love and support each other and work for the good of the city of Toledo, its citizens, and its region. We have to carry out the high bar he set to behave with great dignity and professionalism.”
Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak said, “He has done so many different jobs, but every job I ever saw him in, he was providing service to others. Every job he took, he tried to reach out and make sure everybody had a better life or outcome or knowledge.”
Commissioner Pete Gerken called the mayor’s rise to the 22nd floor of Government Center an “incredible American story.”
“He was serving on the street as a beat cop and ended up in the office of the mayor, against long odds,” Mr. Gerken said.
City employees — including many of those who work in the mayoral suite — cried and hugged after hearing Mayor Collins had died.
Toledo Executive Officer Lisa Ward, who worked with Mayor Collins for years beginning when he was a district councilman, wiped away tears before talking to Miss Kaptur and other officials at One Government Center.
Staff writers Vanessa McCray, Ryan Dunn, and Taylor Dungjen contributed to this report.
Contact Tom Troy: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058 or on Twitter @TomFTroy.
First Published February 7, 2015, 5:08 a.m.
