TOLEDO — James Hartung, who led the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority for 14 years during a period of major growth, died Oct. 2 at his Toledo home. He was 83. His son, Howard Hartung, said his father died of a stroke following a 12-year battle with prostate cancer, according to reporting by The Blade’s Mike Sigov published Oct. 11.
Hartung was hired as port authority president in May 1994, telling The Blade at the time that Toledo had “extraordinary growth potential.” Board Chairman John Szuch remembered him for “solid leadership and direction” and a positive impact on the authority’s growth, while former Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner called him “a leader, and a good man.” Retired Blade editor Thomas Walton also offered tributes to his record in regional transportation and economic development.
His tenure ended in August 2008, when the board dismissed him over what it deemed inappropriate relations with a female lobbyist — a controversial final chapter in an otherwise widely respected career that spanned the port authority’s expansion through the 1990s and 2000s.
A celebration of life is planned for Nov. 7 at the Toledo Club, with the time to be determined. Colleagues remember Hartung as a driving force behind the port authority’s development, helping position Toledo’s port as a significant economic engine for northwest Ohio.
