February 2, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement on the passing of longtime friend, mentor and community leader Richard “Dick” Slagle of Middletown, OH:
“Dick Slagle was a giant of a man whose impact on the Middletown region will be evident for generations to come. His spirit was as strong as the wood of the gavel he fashioned for me as I prepared to become Speaker. That gavel was by my side through my speakership as a source of confidence and strength – the gift of a teacher, a mentor, and a true friend. He was all of those things to me, and to many others who were blessed to know him during his long and remarkable life.
“Dick was a major force in my career, teaching me how to sharpen my communications skills when I was a young salesman and state legislator, and helping to persuade me to leave my small business and commit myself to public service as a candidate for the U.S. House. Dick believed I could do it before anybody else did. He believed in me before I believed it myself.
“Dick’s finest work was the work he did for the family and community he loved. He was a devoted husband and father. As a result of his work for the Middletown Chamber of Commerce and later at Armco, he became an icon in the Middletown community. He was a visionary who loved his adopted hometown and never stopped believing in its potential.
“He was one of the greatest men I ever knew. May God rest his soul and bring comfort to his family.”