NEW ORLEANS — Former New Orleans City Councilman and Judge Eddie Sapir has died.
During a decades’ long political career, he always put the best interests of the city first.
Former Mayor Marc Morial said Sapir was personable, principled, and ahead of his time.
“He also distinguished himself as one of the early supporters of civil rights as an elected official from his days in the legislature, his days on the city council,” Morial said. “He had a close working relationship with the Black community at a time when that was not common.”
Sapir broke into politics in the mid-60s when he was elected to the state house.
He earned a seat on the city council in 1967.
During his first term on the city council, Sapir convinced his colleagues to remove a Confederate flag from the chamber. Congressman and former city council member, Troy Carter, who served with Sapir called him a once in a generation leader who understood the importance of inclusion and equality.
“It’s not about culture,” Carter said. “It’s not about history. It's about a dark time in our country’s history and he was ahead of his time in recognizing that and recognizing that the city council is a hall for all people.”
Sapir left city hall in 1974 to take the bench as a New Orleans Municipal Court Judge.
He returned to the council from 1998 to 2006 as an at-large member.
Billy Schultz managed several of Sapir’s campaigns.
“He was a consummate politician,” Schultz said. “He was active for 5 decades, never lost an election, and even when he wasn’t in office he still had a presence in this community.”
His orange “Eddie’s Ready” bumper stickers made people stop and ask who is Eddie and what is he ready for.
“That question was answered pretty quickly, Eddie was ready to serve, and he did just that,” Carter said. “He was calm. He was direct. He was respectful and even in the most challenged situation.”
Sapir wasn’t afraid to take on tough battles like the time he led the charge against the construction of a raised highway through the edge of the French Quarter.
“Had it passed would have killed the French Quarter as we know it today,” Schultz said.
As an attorney, Sapir represented the likes of former Yankees Manager Billy Martin and New Orleans entertainer Fats Domino.
Schultz said Sapir was the last of his kind.
“He had long hair,” Schultz said. “He was a bachelor. He was always written about being here or there. He drove a white Cadillac, a white convertible Cadillac with red leather interior.”
Morial agreed Sapir had style and that worked to his advantage.
“He was a dashing figure as they say,” Morial said. “He was authentic. He was real. In New Orleans, we like people who are real. Who are themselves, who we can touch, who we can talk to.”
“He was a great friend, who contributed greatly to New Orleans in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, Morial added.
“I had a chance to serve with him, appear before him, he was also part of the generation with my father and others who came along in the 1960s and really bent the arc, the curve in New Orleans.”
Sapir was 86 years old.
Funeral arrangements have not been released at this time.
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