I received news today from the NYC Chancellor of Education that Terence Tolbert, Obama campaign director in Nevada, died last night. It sounds like it was a sudden passing. No news of this event on dkos that I can find. It sounds like a tremendous loss. Sorry for the skimpy introduction but I am at work and wanted to be sure this information was available to the community. The text below is from the email (not published):
It is with tremendous sadness that I tell you that Terence Tolbert—a leader, mentor, and friend—died last night in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was directing Senator Obama’s campaign in the state since July.
Immediately prior to that, for almost three years, Terence had been working for the Department of Education on behalf of New York City’s children as the executive director of intergovernmental affairs. In this capacity, he was one of my most trusted advisers and a source of inspiration to many. He was a person who believed deeply in public service and the power of government to make people’s lives better. In his time with us, his warmth, humor, and energy permeated our offices. I’ve rarely met someone with so many friends and admirers—someone who could use his charm and brains to make manageable the most daunting challenges.
Terence was born and raised in Harlem. He is a proud graduate of the Bronx High School of Science and Hunter College. For the past 17 years, Terence has worked in government and political service. I believe his efforts will have a lasting impact on our community—and I hope that his life’s work will inspire the people who knew and met him.
I know this is shocking and sad news to all of us. His untimely passing will be felt personally and deeply by so many. Our thoughts and prayers are with Terence’s wife, Freida Foster-Tolbert, who became a member of our family over the past few years, and with Terence’s other family and loved ones.