By Maricopa County
“When we look at the growth, success, and prosperity of Arizona, there are few who deserve more credit than the late Carl Kunasek.
Mr. Kunasek was part of a rare class of men who knew what it meant to truly serve their country. He was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, a member—and eventually president—of the Arizona State Senate, and a member of many impressive boards and commissions, including more than 15 years as an elected member of the Arizona Corporation Commission. He was appointed by President George H. W. Bush and later confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the Navajo and Hopi Relocation Commission from 1990 to 1994.
Over the course of his illustrious career, Mr. Kunasek had a hand in shaping everything from our local and state economy to affordable health care and the water we drink.
While his public service is something to applaud, his family was likely what he would have considered his greatest achievement. He was married to his late wife for more than 60 years before her passing in 2020, and together they proudly raised four children in Arizona. I offer my prayers and deepest condolences to his children, grandchildren, and all those who knew and loved him.
May his memory serve as a reminder of the debt of gratitude we owe to the generation of great leaders who came before us.”
