It was seemingly appropriate that news of Sen. Pete Suazo's untimely death first spread through this community by word of mouth, with friends relaying the sad news through telephone calls and personal visits. Suazo, killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident earlier this week, was gifted at connecting with people on a one-to-one basis, whether they were national leaders or neighbors who needed his help.
Suazo, 50, was first elected to the state House in 1992 and was elected to the state Senate in 1996. Suazo, who championed respect and dignity for all Utahns, successfully shepherded legislation to rename the state's Human Rights Day for the Rev. Martin Luther King. He was one of a handful of state leaders who sued to block the law making English the state's official language from taking effect.
For four consecutive years, Suazo backed hate crimes legislation. Although the bills failed to become law, his efforts helped educate his legislative colleagues and the general public about discrimination and the importance of diversity.
Suazo was "the social conscience of the Utah Senate," said Sen. Ed Mayne, D-West Valley City, a friend and Senate colleague.
A champion of Democratic ideals, Suazo was a skilled politician who worked hard to broker consensus. On occasion, he would seek out Republican co-sponsors for his bills to better their odds of passage in the GOP-controlled Utah Legislature.
As Suazo climbed the ranks of local government and then the state Legislature, he never forgot his roots and the concerns of his west-side constituency, largely racial minorities and working-class families. A graduate of West High School, Suazo earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree from the University of Utah. Although he had the resources to move out of his neighborhood, Suazo committed himself to better his community and ensure that the concerns of its residents were not overlooked in the public process.
Recently, while serving on the legislative redistricting committee, Suazo took great pains to ensure that the Hispanic community and racial minorities were not overlooked in the process to draw new political district boundaries due to population changes documented in the 2000 Census.
Suazo believed in exploiting the potential of youths, particularly minorities. As such, he worked tirelessly as a member of the Utah Amateur Boxing Federation and a boxing referee, with an aim of involving young minority youths in boxing programs. Two decades ago he helped found Youth Works, a program that enlists troubled teenagers in the neighborhood rebuilding effort.
Perhaps Suazo's greatest legacy was his example. He grew up with little but had limitless aspirations. He worked hard and got an education. As he chalked up many personal accomplishments, Suazo took care to pave the way for others.
All he touched, in his inimitable personal style, grieve his loss.