Arizona lost a true hero and an incredibly good human being this week. My great friend and personal mentor left us quickly before we could properly say goodbye.
Carl Kunasek, former Arizona Senate President and Corporation Commissioner, succumbed to the fate of us all last night, but he leaves behind a remarkable trail of friendships and civic accomplishments that few Arizonans will ever match.
The Mesa pharmacist, husband to Fran, and father to an impressive brood, was the sole individual to come up with a solution to Arizona becoming the last state in the Union to join the federal government’s Medicaid program by asking the Reagan Administration to permit private health insurance companies to compete to serve the Medicaid-eligible population. Today, nearly 2 million Arizonans are blessed to have health insurance because of Carl.
Carl lived his entire life, in every respect, by the Lord’s axiom to “love your neighbor as yourself” and to “love the Lord with all your heart.”
He was an incredibly generous man, with a warm heart, an endless smile, and a gleam in his eye that always let you know he was way ahead of you! He treated everyone with kindness and respect, and he will be incredibly missed. Literally, there is no one to compare him to in all my professional career in Arizona.
I first met him in 1987 when I worked for the Mesa Chamber of Commerce and asked for an appointment to see him. His secretary said, “Sure, we’ve never had anyone from the Chamber.” A few days later, we ate lunch while he got his car repaired, and a lifetime reward was granted to me—knowing Carl was an incredible gift.
Meeting Carl was an honor. Getting to know him and his family was a gift beyond measure.
Please take a moment today and pause to give thanks to the Lord for creating Carl Kunasek, an Arizona icon, a treasure, and a hero to so many. May we be graced with the opportunity to meet others like him, because it is a rare honor.
His son Andy recently shared with a group of friends Carl’s shopping list. It had four items on it that, in a way, speak to the joy Carl had for life while simultaneously acknowledging the need to care for oneself: toothpaste, brandy, ice cream, and peanuts. It seems like he was encouraging us to care for ourselves while constantly expressing joy in our lives. That would be the best way to honor Carl Kunasek.