SOUTH LONDONDERRY- Representative Rick Hube, 62, of South Londonderry, died unexpectedly Monday evening while visiting his sister, outside of Orlando, FL.

According to Jamaica Selectboard Chair Oliver Olsen, a close friend, Hube had been rushed to a nearby hospital after experiencing a pain in his leg, and died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm while physicians were working to save his life.

A Republican lawmaker since 1999, Hube was swept into office after the passage of Act 60, and remained a staunch opponent of the statewide education tax, and a supporter of property tax reform. He has represented the towns of Londonderry, Winhall, Jamaica, Stratton, and Weston, and before district lines were redrawn following the 2000 census, Hube’s district included the towns of Dover and Wardsboro.

Hube has been praised by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for his hard work, dedication to his constituents, and pragmatism. With fellow legislator Bob Rusten, a Democrat, Hube took a leading role in building “the gang of 10,” a bipartisan coalition to reform education funding. “We drove all over the state to talk about education funding and spent a tremendous amount of time together,” Rusten recalls. “He was just the kind of person who could talk to anyone.”

Although Hube was well-respected within the Republican Party, he didn’t withhold his support for legislation he believed was in the best interests of his constituents because of any party loyalty. Olsen says that he received a lot of criticism from fellow Republicans for co-sponsoring “death with dignity” legislation, and for his support last session of the marriage equality bill. “He thought long and hard about that, and looked at his own principles on matters of individual liberty,” Olsen says. “He believed people should be able to control the destiny of their own lives – that’s not the state’s role.”

Rusten recalls Hube was well liked by his fellow legislators, no matter their party affiliations. He looked for broad answers to issues such as education funding, tax policy, and the state budget, and sought consensus across party lines.

Olsen says Hube was “turned off” by the partisan rancor that characterized national and, in some cases, state politics. “Rick made the effort to listen to diverse points of view and kept an open mind,” Olsen says. “He wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he thought was right, even if it meant going across the grain or making the unpopular choice.”

Hube and Rusten forged a close friendship that extended beyond Rusten’s years in the Legislature. “Rick was a dear friend,” Rusten says. “He was a wonderful, warm guy. He had a tremendous sense of humor, even poking fun at himself to get past barriers.”

Even after Rusten’s departure from the Legislature, he and Hube remained allies in efforts to reform education funding, often meeting with Representative Ann Manwaring, of Wilmington, to discuss the issue. “I know he was looking forward to this coming session,” Rusten says. “He was looking forward to what can be done (regarding education funding) over the next year, and he would have brought a lot to the table. This is a tremendous loss to the state.”

Hube is also remembered for his dedication to his constituents. “That’s the thing that really stands out,” says Olsen. “Someone would call him up because they had run out of fuel and didn’t know where to turn. That’s the kind of calls he’d get. And he knew who to call, and he would find the solutions.”

Recently, Hube had been working with Fairpoint Communications to bring broadband Internet access to the towns in his district. Thanks to his efforts, by the end of next year the towns should have broadband access – a tremendous boost to the local economy.

During the last legislative session, Hube and Manwaring were appointed to a committee to study Act 68 and education financing issues. Hube joined John Moran (D-Wardsboro) and Manwaring to introduce legislation requiring that bills which would impact property taxes include a fiscal note outlining the local cost. Earlier this year, it was Hube who sounded the alarm on attempts to cut more than $18 million in funding from the state’s education fund.

Earlier this year, Hube joined Governor Jim Douglas and a delegation of 15 Vermont business leaders on a trade mission to China. Hube said the trip was a chance to develop trade, tourism, and business opportunities to fuel Vermont’s economic recovery.

Hube was also a frequent contributor to the pages of The Deerfield Valley News, first as a legislative columnist and, following the reapportionment of his district, as a letter writer.

In a statement released last night, Vermont Representative Peter Welch said “Vermont has lost a great legislator, and so many Vermonters have lost a true friend. Rick had a sharp wit, a deep intelligence, and a wonderful sense of humor. He was a legislator who built bridges, who worked with those of every viewpoint to improve the state he loved so much. Above all, he was a man of deep principle. All of us who knew Rick were the better for it.”

Hube was born in 1947 in Hartford, CT, and earned a BA in history at Colgate University, graduating in 1970. He began his career at McDonald’s Corporation, working his way up to become manager of the chain’s second busiest restaurant in Connecticut. In 1978, Hube moved to Vermont where he worked at Stratton Mountain, first as a laborer at the resort’s golf course during the summer and a member of the ski patrol during the winter. In 1980 he became the personnel director at the ski resort. He subsequently held a number of management positions at Stratton, including marketing manager, director of recreation, and lodging director. In 1990, he started his own management firm, Hube Inc.

As a legislator, Hube served on the House Commerce, Judiciary, Government Operations and Rules committees, and the House-Senate Joint Rules Committee. He also served as Vice Chair of the Government Operations Committee and Assistant Majority Leader.

According to a brief statement on his Web site, a memorial service is tentatively planned for Sunday, January 31, on what would have been Hube’s 63rd birthday.