Former Shreveport Mayor John Hussey has died

His funeral service is set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Elizabeth Ann Seaton Church. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Osborne Funeral Home. 

Hussey is best remembered for spearheading the city's 1985 Sesquicentennial celebration.

At a Celebrate Downtown Legacy event last July, Hussey was the Grand Honoree Recognition winner. A standing ovation and tears of appreciation greeted him as he was honored for what was described as his "visionary leadership and tireless advocacy" during one of Shreveport’s most transformative periods.

It was under Hussey’s direction that the city hosted its 1985 Sesquicentennial – an eleven-month celebration that united citizens and reignited civic pride, according to the Downtown Development Authority. 

Hussey shared what he called two important lessons from his experience as the city’s top leader in a “A Celebration of Life” project in 2013.

“First, to be an effective Mayor, the only way to get things done is by developing a consensus, that is, by persuasion. I used to think that any Mayor had enough power to get others to support what he wanted to do, but this is not so. I was elected in 1982 with 54% of the vote; the media called it a landslide victory. A friend reminded me that on the day of my landslide win, 46% of the people wanted someone else to be Mayor. This helped me remember that whenever I wanted to get something done, I had to persuade others that it was the right thing to do. This is where political power comes from: the ability to persuade others to your point of view,” shared Hussey.

“Second, an elected official must be willing to take positions that may be unpopular, but are the right thing to do. (A City Councilman once said to me; Mayor, you are right. Some times you have to put your principles aside, and do the right thing.) Many politicians make a decision based on how it will affect their own career. It is often difficult to do, but you must be independent enough to do what is right, even if it costs you your job.”

The LSUS Northwest Louisiana Archives includes biographical information about Hussey, noting that during his tenure as mayor, Shreveport had the largest building program in its history, including street maintenance, housing projects, economic development and institution of the Emergency 911 system. Projects built during his administration include the Clyde Fant Parkway North and South, draining projects, a new water plant, a new sewer plant, extensive additions to the city's park systems, a new landfill, and the city's baseball stadium, Fair Grounds Field.

During his eight years as mayor, the city operated with a balanced budget, attained the highest bond rating in the state, fully funded its pension funds, and ended each year with a budget surplus.

At the time of the "A Celebration of Life" project, Hussey was 78 years old and shared how his life had been blessed by family and friends through the years.

“I am grateful for my family and friends, who are the most important things to me,” he said.

Hussey was an attorney, receiving his law degree from LSU in 1958. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Reserves.

He and his wife, Emily Ann Wile, known as Mimi, were married in 1960 and had two children, David Brennan Hussey and John Edward Hussey. Mimi Hussey died in 2015.