This morning, Tom Fuentes gets an appreciative obituary from Ron and Anna Winship, who occasionally write for the OC Blog:
Ground Control to Major Tom……we will miss you!
An excerpt:
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| The Winships |
Tom Fuentes was remarkable, in that he sustained the status of the party through movements of takeover by the so-called moderate majority, by other interlopers that wanted to avail themselves of the power and status of the Orange County Republican cache. Fuentes held the reigns of power from 1976 through 2007, when he became the consulting mentor that was always part of his normal character. Ronald Reagan said: “It is amazing how much you can get done or accomplish, if you don’t care who gets the credit!” Tom Fuentes was that guy. He had a pretty strong ego that he displayed on occasion, but through most of it — he was giving the kudos to others, showing his appreciation verbally and telling others how grateful the party was “for their participation”. Tom’s One Clap introduction of local dignitaries for all meetings and gatherings was legion and legend!
It was a tough gig for Tom Fuentes. He had to walk through a wall of fire at times, he had to fight and convince others of the right position for the party to take, he had to compromise at the right times and he had [to] stand his ground exactly at the right times – to keep the leadership intact and to make sure that the programs ahead were successful. Through all his years of service, we can justly say: Great Job Tom Fuentes! Through good times and bad…you stood tall.
