Steve Leal, a longtime public servant and former councilman, died Tuesday. He was 76.
An announcement of his death was posted to Leal’s Facebook page on Wednesday.
“With deep sadness, Steve’s family announces his passing,” the post reads. “He leaves behind a powerful legacy of pursuing social justice & repairing our world. May his memory be a blessing and a lesson on how we may live our lives.”
Leal was a Democrat who represented Tucson’s Ward 5. He was first elected to the council in 1989.
Leal was elected to five terms before deciding not to seek reelection in 2009, ending a political career that spanned two decades at City Hall. He also was a longtime employee at the Pima County jail.
Leal was remembered by colleagues as a warm and passionate person.
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“Steve was a very smart guy, and his intellect helped him understand pretty well the nature of the community and what its problems were,” said former Mayor Tomas Volgy.
Volgy worked with Leal first as a city council member, and in his time as mayor. He recalled Leal’s commitment to dealing with issues of poverty, unemployment and racial justice.
“He was very much committed to social justice issues, particularly involving the south side, but also the entire community as well. He had an engaging, warm personality, which allowed him to interact with a very diverse group of people,” Volgy said. “Under very stressful conditions, he managed to keep his poise always, and came to council meetings and to political activities with a very positive outlook towards life.”
After retiring from the council, Leal continued to work in the community as a prominent voice on issues of social justice.
He worked in community outreach at the Sunnyside School District, and for a time hosted a political radio show and podcast, “All Things Political,” as part of Tucson Progressive Media.
Following his passing, there has been an outpouring of support from Leal’s past colleagues and allies across social media.
Mayor Regina Romero shared her personal sentiments Thursday in an online post.
“I am saddened to hear of the passing of former Ward 5 Council Member Steve Leal,” Romero said online. “Steve was one of the first people to endorse my first run for City Council and remained a trusted colleague. I offer my deepest condolences to his wife Martha McGrath and family. Tucson has lost a dedicated public servant.”
Leal is survived by his wife, Martha McGrath. There was no immediate information Friday about services.
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