Dennis Neary, an Indiana senator, passed away at age of 80

Indianapolis, Indiana – Dennis Neary, an 81-year-old senator from Indiana, passed away.

In a statement sent by his family, Neary said that he died away quietly at home on Monday in Carmel.

From 1976 to 1992, Neary served in the Indiana Senate. He chaired the Democratic Caucus from 1988 to 1992.

Neary has strong ties to the Democratic Party on a local and national level. In February 2014, House Concurrent Resolution 25 was published to honor the senator’s public service career. It states that in 1968, Neary chaired Robert Kennedy’s LaPorte County presidential campaign.

Neary was eventually invited to join Kennedy’s campaign in California. Neary turned down the chance, citing his obligations as a teacher. For more than 20 years, Neary taught at Northwest Indiana’s Long Beach High School.

Neary spent more than 15 years as the Indiana Health Care Association’s Director of Legislative and Political Affairs following his time in the Senate. Additionally, former Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon designated him as Chairman of the Education and Labor Relations Board.

Neary served as the ELRB’s chairman from 2000 to 2005. A short time after, he was appointed Minority Health Coalition Vice President.

Neary was bestowed with the esteemed Sagamore of the Wabash award in 2022, which honors individuals who have given their lives in service to the state of Indiana.

Neary had a history in politics even before he entered the Indiana Statehouse. His father served as a La Porte city council member for sixteen years, and his maternal grandfather served as a councilman in Ottawa, Illinois, in the early 1900s. According to HCR25, Neary and his siblings participated in their father’s campaign by walking precincts.

Growing up in northern Indiana, Neary went to La Porte High School and Saint Joseph Elementary School. While attending Murray State on a baseball scholarship, he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. Neary continued on to Indiana University South Bend to earn a master’s in education.

Neary was born in February 1944, according to HCR25. Out of his fourteen siblings, he was the first to be born in Holy Family Hospital in La Porte.

HCR25 also notes that Neary maintained friendships with lawmakers from both parties and was prepared to collaborate with them. The resolution also makes note of the fact that Neary wed a longtime Republican from California who grew up in a political household.

In addition to his wife Suzan, he leaves behind six grandchildren, his sons Ryan and Robert, and daughters Abbey, Katelyn, and Savannah.