Ben GiaQuinta, a former state representative and World War II veteran, died this morning from complications tied to congestive heart failure. He was 87.
GiaQuinta died at the home of his son, Mark GiaQuinta, where he had been living for six months. His six children were with him when he died.
"Most people will think of him as a true gentleman and someone who was very kind and thoughtful," Mark GiaQuinta said. "He was also extremely determined in everything he did, that's what made him an effective legislator. When he wanted to get something through he was relentless in his approach."
Ben GiaQuinta, who was born in Brockton, Mass., fought in World War II for three years, much of that time with the 102nd Infantry in Europe as a rifleman and machine gunner.
He moved to Fort Wayne in 1946 to work at a friend's driving school, but left Indiana a few years later to start driving schools in Texas. He returned a few years later and married his wife, Helen. The couple later moved to Louisiana where GiaQuinta continued in the driving school business and earned a degree from Louisiana State University.
The family returned to Fort Wayne in 1953, and GiaQuinta eventually became a real estate agent, often going by the name of "Ben Quinn" to minimize customer confusion over his last name.
"Of course I never changed my name," he recalled in a 1990 interview. "But years ago on the telephone, people had a terrible time with the name GiaQuinta – people couldn't pronounce it, they'd get it fouled up and they'd forget it.
"And I realized I was losing money because people couldn't remember my name."
In 1986, Mark GiaQuinta, then a city councilman, persuaded his father to seek a seat on the Wayne Township Board, which oversees the township trustee's office. GiaQuinta won.
He was still a virtual political unknown in May 1989, when he publicly accused Jim Winters, then the Wayne Township trustee, of corruption and misuse of township funds. He made headlines when he agreed to discuss a preliminary audit of township books that showed Winters had to repay the township $21,000 in unauthorized spending.
In the months that followed, eight township employees were indicted on charges of participating in a kickback scheme with vendors who dealt with the township. Winters was later indicted on felony charges of forgery, theft and official misconduct. He resigned after pleading guilty to 10 misdemeanor counts of official misconduct.
GiaQuinta was first elected to the General Assembly in 1990, serving two terms until being defeated by Republican John Becker in 1994 by a handful of votes. But he got the seat back in a 1996 rematch and served until 2006.
In February of that year he announced he would not seek another term, and later confirmed he had a non-aggressive form of lymphoma.
During his House farewell speech, Helen GiaQuinta and several other family members looked on from the visitors' balcony. Helen steadfastly attended sessions over the years and received a standing ovation of her own that day. She died in June 2009.
One of GiaQuinta's more significant honors came from Gov. Mitch Daniels in October 2007 in the form of a Sagamore of the Wabash award.
"Isn't that wonderful?" a happy GiaQuinta said. "I never really thought I would get anything as nice as that. I'm just thrilled to no end to have received such a prestigious award."
The honor was requested by an eclectic group of Republicans and Democrats who worked with GiaQuinta over the years in the Statehouse.
The letter seeking the Sagamore spoke of Ben GiaQuinta's childhood, his service during World War II, his enduring marriage and his accomplished children.
But it also focused on the many projects benefiting Fort Wayne and Allen County that GiaQuinta had a role in through the years.
"Ben offered his assistance without regard to political persuasion," the letter said. "Ben GiaQuinta nominated many who were recipients of the Sagamore of the Wabash award. It is doubtful that a single one of those recipients was more deserving of the honor than he is."
