MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Town of Marana unveiled a new plaque on Tuesday dedicating the Marana Municipal Complex in honor of late Mayor Ed Honea, a lasting tribute to a leader who dedicated nearly four decades of service to the community.
Mayor Ed Honea passed away unexpectedly in November 2024 at 77 years old. His best friend, Clint Peek, said his presence is still very much alive.
"Ed was just like an institution in Marana, and I still refer to him as you notice as if he were here. Every time I drive by places, I remember conversations that I had with him," Peek said. "And we were like a couple of married people when we got in the car together, we fight with each other and argue about stuff."
Peek said he knew Honea for about 20 years and recalls their last conversation.
"My personal love for Ed was as a brother. We spoke the night before he passed away and the last words we said to each other was, Ed, I love you, and he goes, I love you, Clint," Peek said.
"We just had that kind of relationship that just intensified over the last five or six years of his life. He introduced me to everybody that he thought that I needed to know, and I'm so thankful for the relationships that he's helped me maintain."
RELATED: Marana mayor Ed Honea passes away at age 77
Marana Mayor Jon Post said the dedication was the town's way of showing its appreciation for everything Honea gave to the community.
"We're really excited to showcase that because Mayor Honea did so much for this community, and you know this is the least that we could do to show how much we appreciate what he did for this community and how much we love him," Post said.
Post also reflected on one of the things he will miss most about Honea.
"He had an infectious laugh that was just booming, and it didn't take much to make that come out," Post mentioned. "You could hear that all over the building and so you know that was something that you would hear and know that he was coming down the hall."
Post said it's thanks to Honea why the town is in a good state financially.
"One of the biggest things that he did was he did not like to spend money, and that's good and bad, but we have a good fiscal position because he loved to save money," Post said.
Many people came out for the unveiling, sharing stories and memories of Honea. Friend David Samorano recalled the impact Honea had on him.
"Ed Honea had a big influence on my small business that I started with my partner here in Marana a few years back, and he stressed the importance of relationships, and he would do that on a regular basis, and he ended up doing his own show and podcast out of our studio with his trust in us, and it was really cool," Samorano said.
Honea was a strong advocate for recreational projects and served as a respected leader on numerous boards and organizations. The plaque at the municipal complex serves as a reminder of his commitment to the Town of Marana.
"It's so amazing that we honor him tonight by putting his name on the building," Peek said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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