Former Ohio Senator, Buckeye football player Ben Espy dies at 81

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ben Espy, a former State lawmaker, Columbus City councilmember and Ohio State football player, died Saturday at the age of 81.

He served as President Pro Tem of Columbus City Council beginning in 1982 and held the position for a decade before joining the Ohio Senate in 1992. Espy served as the assistant Senate majority leader for two years and then minority leader for four years. He left office in 2002.

"Espy was known as a towering statesman and a fighter for justice and equality," said Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin. "Ben Espy is the kind of trailblazer on whose shoulders so many of us stand now."

Before becoming a state lawmaker, Espy graduated from Sandusky High School in northern Ohio. He then attended Ohio State and graduated with a degree in political science. During his time as a Buckeye, he suited up for the football team and played under head coach Woody Hayes.

He later earned a law degree at Howard University in 1968 and four years later returned to the Buckeye State as a deputy chief of the civil rights division at the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

"His commitment to community and spirit of service changed our city for the better," said Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther. "Ben was a special person who deeply loved Columbus."

Espy was preceded in death by his late wife Kathy, who also worked as an advocate before her death in 2022. "Ben and his late wife, Kathy, built a legacy of strength and love that endures," said Congresswoman Joyce Beaty (D-OH).

Plans for Espy's memorial service have not been announced.