U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones is Dead, Following Stroke
Hours after U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones was falsely reported yesterday to have died from a stroke, she did indeed pass away. She was 58.
Her family announced in a written statement that the Ohio Democrat died at 6:12 p.m. yesterday, reports the Washington Post. Tubbs Jones had apparently suffered a brain hemorrhage caused by an aneurysm while driving in the Cleveland area Tuesday night.
The first African-American woman from Ohio to be elected to Congress, she had been in office since 1998. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Law, she worked as a Cuyahoga County prosecutor and a municipal and common pleas court judge before winning her seat in Congress, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer. In Congress, she chaired the House Ethics Committee.
“She was a force of nature and always the most popular and gregarious person in any room,” says U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette, an Ohio Republican and former county prosecutor who described Tubbs Jones as a dear friend of more than 20 years.
Other politicians, including Sens. Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton, described her as an extraordinary public servant and said they were shocked and saddened at her sudden death. President George W. Bush said the nation is grateful for her service.
Additional coverage:
Associated Press: “US Rep. Tubbs Jones of Ohio dies”
Bloomberg: “Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones dies of aneurysm”
ABAJournal.com: “U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones Has Stroke, Is Still Alive”
