Sullivan’s Salvos 7/3/25
In this edition:
*RIP Larry Meister
*RIP Tom Slockett
*Happy Independence Day!
*Follow Up
*John Stimmel
*Did You Know?
*RIP Larry Meister
I was sad to hear of the passing of Larry Meister of Solon. I have several friends who went to school in Solon back in the day, and Larry was the school principal. It sounds as though he was well-liked and well-respected.
I got to know Larry after his retirement from education, where he threw himself into helping everyone in Solon who needed help. He worked what seemed to be full time with Solon Senior Advocates, the Solon Care Center, the Solon Library, the Solon Food Pantry, and more. If you were in any kind of need in Solon, Larry Meister was there to lend a hand.
A life well lived, Mister Meister! RIP!
*RIP Tom Slockett
I really do not have the words for this one. Tom Slockett, who served as the Johnson County Auditor from 1977-2012, passed away suddenly the other day at age 78. Tom and I served 8 years together in county government.
Slockett’s story is long, interesting, and complicated, and I probably cannot do it justice here. Let me just focus on a couple key things.
Johnson County residents are accustomed to satellite voting. We go to our local library, we visit the Auditor’s Office; we even drive through now. In the old days, we voted at Hy Vee. All of that is because of Tom Slockett. All of it.
I could go on and on, but I am not going to. Tom was a private person, and I am going to respect that. I am just going to close with a big THANKS! For all of his innovations over the years. RIP, Tom.
*Happy Independence Day!
Happy Birthday to the USA! 249 years old! I hope you and yours enjoy a great Independence Day!
Looking for ways to celebrate? The Jazz Festival is in downtown Iowa City, Fourth Fest in Coralville, and the 4th has parades in Coralville, Sharon Center, Oxford, and Hills.
*Follow Up
Last week I wrote about a vote over juvenile detention that had me quite angry. I am happy to say that I have spoken to the other Supervisors, and while we agree the process was *NOT* good, they have assured me that there was no plot or ill intent. And I believe them. I think it is critical that we give each other some grace, and that starts with me. So please rest assured that we have worked this out and we are moving forward in agreement.
I guess if you are one of the people who sent V hate mail, you can send it to me, too. If you are one of the people who sent me hate mail, you can send it to V, too. Or you could just struggle with the fact that we agree, even though it does not fit your worldview.
*John Stimmel
My friend John Stimmel recently passed away. Many of you might remember John from handing out the Ad Sheet downtown. Others probably remember him working at the Hy Vee on First Avenue. Perhaps a few of you remember John walking with me (and the Johnson County Democrats) in the many summer parades. Whatever the case, you probably recall him as a big, friendly, “gentle giant.”
All that is true. There is also a lot more to John. I think it is important that we all know a bit about John’s story. Because it really is our collective story.
John Stimmel was born in Iowa City in 1949. Upon the advice of her doctors, John’s mother placed him at what was then known as the Woodward State Hospital School for the Feebleminded. John was only 4 years old.
John spent the next 32 years living at Woodward, enduring several bouts of abuse and neglect. Woodward in the 1950s and 1960s was an awful place. Finally, in 1980, a worker at Woodward helped John to write a letter. He wrote to Carol Thompson, then the Director of the Johnson County Department of Human Services. John asked if he could come home to Iowa City. Carol decided to look into this request.
This was not an easy act for John. Many people, including many professionals, told him he could not live on his own. John himself was not sure if this was the right move.
Nor was it easy for Carol. If this did not go well, it was going to be on her. Her professional reputation was at stake. What if he hurt someone? She was putting a lot of faith in John!
And it wasn’t always easy! John had several run-ins with the Iowa City police over the years. John had never learned how to live in society. So this big man shoved and/or hit people a couple of times. He got unwantedly close to young women a couple of times. He had things he needed to learn, and to his credit, he did. (By the way, the ICPD was amazingly patient and understanding with John for his whole 40+ years here. Without their patience and understanding, he would have gone right back to Woodward.)
Fast forward 45 years, and we can all see that it was absolutely the right move. John lived for decades in his own apartment, and received only minimal services from Johnson County. He proudly worked at Bill’s Coffee Shop, the Ad Sheet, and the First Avenue Hy-Vee, where he epitomized the “helpful smile.” John also took classes at Kirkwood Community College and was active in his church. John was a proud voter, a staunch Democrat, and never missed an election.
Most importantly, John Stimmel was an advocate for people with disabilities. John was a proud graduate of the Partners in Policymaking program, and served on some local Boards and committees. (He was one of my bosses when I served as the Executive Director of The Arc back in the late 1990s and early 2000s.) Most importantly, John let everyone know that people with disabilities deserve to be a part of our community just like everyone else. John Stimmel made a difference in Iowa City. He made it a better place to live.
John was labeled many things over the course of his life. All of the labels refer to someone who is slow to learn. John practiced reading and writing all the time, and probably reached about a first-grade level. He could proudly sign his own name, but that was about it. Yet John knew for decades what so many others are just learning – people with disabilities deserve the same respect and same rights as everyone else. And John made that case to anyone who will listen for 45 years.
If you were a friend of John’s, it meant you got phone calls. A *LOT* of phone calls! John was not afraid to pick up the phone. I remember a decade or so ago when I was serving on the JECC Board that oversees 911 dispatch in Johnson County. They were reviewing the people who called 911 the most. At the top of the list, three years in a row? John Stimmel. I remember the Director of JECC saying, “Isn’t there someone else in the community he could call?” Former Iowa City Fire Chief Andy Rocca and I laughed out loud. We were both part of John’s phone tree, and knew that even adding 100 more people probably wouldn’t stop John from calling.
I walked in a lot of parades and attended a lot of Democratic Party events with John. I would pick him up, and he would say, “You know what, Rod? I am a true Democrat, I am. Some people try to change me, but I won’t. And you know why? Because Democrats care about people with disabilities! And I work, so I deserve Social Security and Medicaid!” I bet I heard some version of that speech – no exaggeration – over a thousand times. I think John was talking to himself as much as he was to me. But boy, I wish John was around to share that message with Joni Ernst and Marianette Miller Meeks!
Honestly, John Stimmel usually served as a really good test of who would make a good Iowa City Councilor. When candidates stumbled and acted uneasy around John, they did not get my vote. When they treated him like everyone else, and spoke to him with kindness and respect, they typically got my vote. People who gave him a good-natured hard time got extra credit!
John loved the Hawkeyes, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Kansas City Royals. He also always had a pet cat or guinea pig or two, and he loved them dearly despite the troubles they always seemed to cause him. It is cliché and maybe unfair, but over the years many people would meet John with his cat or guinea pig and remark how much it reminded them of Lenny from Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”
I want to note some of the many people who were friends of John’s. Because while being John’s friend was rewarding, it was also a lot of work. It could be frustrating, heartbreaking, and just plain exhausting. So to Carol Thompson, the late Tom Walz, Teresa McAndrew, Dave Leshtz, Jon Trouten, Mike Rose, John McGonegle, the folks from Grace Fellowship Church, and many others – thanks for helping John to make a home here.
RIP, John Stimmel. You made a difference, my friend!
*DID YOU KNOW? The oldest continually running 4th of July parade in the US is in Bristol, Rhode Island. It has taken place every year since 1785!
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
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