Passion for the people, politics

Former mayor remembered as ‘kind and respectful’

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BROOKINGS – Roger Prunty, a native South Dakotan and former mayor of Brookings (1980-1985), where he lived for nearly 75 years, is being remembered as a man who served his city well, both in and out of office. 

Prunty, 89, died Tuesday at home, and his funeral service was scheduled for 11 a.m. today at First Methodist Church in Brookings.

“He was passionate about improving people’s condition, a lot of it that people never knew of, his helping people out,” said Gail Robertson, who followed Prunty as mayor and was in office from 1985 to 1990.  

“He did it as a business owner and as an individual. He was extraordinarily concerned about government and its function. He just had a passion for it.” 

Robertson noted that his predecessor’s interest in government “ranged from neighborhood politics on up through international. He followed it very closely and was a great student of it.”

Prunty, a lifelong staunch Democrat, held a variety of positions in the party, including chairman of the Robert F. Kennedy for President Campaign for Brookings County. Additionally, he served as a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in 1968. However, the dedicated Democrat loved his Republican friends.

“I do remember that he hated it when somebody ran unopposed, even if it was a friend of his, somebody he agreed with,” said Tom Yseth, a retired restaurateur who served on the Brookings Parks and Recreation Board for 10 years and later as a Brookings County commissioner. “He just hated that. He liked the noise of democracy, I guess.”

“I have some fond memories of him,” Yseth added. “I always thought he was a kind and respectful person; but he did have kind of a feisty side. He liked to stir the pot.

“I never saw Roger ever being unkind or disrespectful to someone, even if they did not agree with him. I enjoyed him. He had a great sense of humor. He was such a common-sense kind of guy. He was fun to visit with.”           

Yseth remembered a Chamber of Commerce banquet where Prunty responded to a discussion of “city enterprises” by noting that “Brookings is an example that socialism is OK as long as it’s controlled by the Republicans.”

He also noted that the mayor was not “status quo.”

“He loved to change things,” said Douglas Filholm, a former Brookings chief of police who had also served with Prunty on the city commission. “I always found him to be fair. We didn’t always agree on things. But we worked out things very well.”

Greg Jongeling, former Brookings city engineer, recalled that Prunty helped him get that job about 1985, when Lloyd Darnall retired.

“Roger was always extremely progressive in his thinking and looking forward for the city of Brookings,” Jongeling said. “In every phase he really tried to advance the growth of the city and yet keep it a livable city.

“There were times when we were dealing with some industries that might not have been the best for the city, based on pollution or pay scale or something like that. And he was wise enough to recognize that we didn’t want to bring in industry at all costs. It had to be the right industry for the city to enhance the growth of the city and to keep our wages at a good level.”

   

Contact John Kubal at jkubal@brookingsregister.com.

Courtesy photo