They remembered him as a devoted public servant, a man who worked hard for his constituents and led the charge on important issues of the day.
After they finished eulogizing, they picked up their shovels.
Nobody had died, though state Sen. Mike Fasano, the man at the center of it all, pinched himself to be sure.
Local officials and others gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Mike Fasano Regional Hurricane Shelter, a $7.5-million facility off Denton Avenue that will also house health clinics for low-income and uninsured residents.
Fasano, the Republican state senator from New Port Richey, was the shelter's chief sponsor and secured federal and state funding for the project, which has been in the works since 2006.
County commissioners voted last year to name the shelter for Fasano — a decision notable in part, as Commissioner Ted Schrader joked, because the senator is alive.
But the project had become synonymous with Fasano, 50.
"I think it's just fitting we put his name on this building," said Commissioner Michael Cox, a Democrat who said Fasano was the first person (with the exception of his own parents) to call with congratulations after he won his seat.
"Where would this world be without Mike Fasano?" said Commissioner Pat Mulieri. "And I'm serious about this."
After the ceremony, the rarely shy Fasano seemed demure when asked about the honor.
"It's overwhelming," he said. "Because I never expected it to happen."
Jodie Tillman can be reached at jtillman@sptimes.com or (727) 869-6247.
Shelter facts
Construction on the Mike Fasano Regional Hurricane Shelter and Health Clinics is expected to be completed by January. Bandes Construction Co. and Spring Engineering are building the project.
The 37,263-square-foot facility will be able to provide shelter for 1,000 evacuees during a storm event. The building will be used daily by the Pasco County Health Department Clinic and Premier Health Clinic.
The shelter will be the first in the country designed with the latest storm standards set by the International Code Council and National Storm Shelter. It will also be the first county building designed to win certification from the U.S. Green Building Coalition's LEED program, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
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