The Manitowoc community is still in shock following the sudden passing of local community leader Jim Brey.
The 4th District Alderman was driving in the area of South 26th and Franklin Streets Tuesday night when he collided with a building, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Manitowoc County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer says he and the rest of the county government team were shocked by the news and are “tremendously saddened” by his passing.
He had nothing but praise for the man.
“I’ve known him for 35 years or 40 years, and he was a good person, always interested in the community,” he recalled. “He always meant well for the community.”
That pride Brey felt in the City of Manitowoc and the County was best represented by the fact that he not only served on the City Council and County Board, Ziegelbauer says he was the longest serving board member in the County’s history.
“He served in a lot of positions of course, during that service on the county board,” the County Executive noted. “He was the chairman of the county board, maybe for eight years or ten years, on two different occasions; he was president of the City Council. He was all about local government.”
While he was still actively serving on the City Council up until his death, Brey was also recently appointed to the position of County Treasurer, which the County Executive said was a bit of an adjustment for him.
“He was just starting his fourth week on the job,” Ziegelbauer said. “He was a little nervous because he wasn’t used to that specific duty, but he was doing fine and he was learning a lot.”
Ziegelbauer asked the community to think of Jim’s family in their time of mourning, and to remember him as a champion of all things Manitowoc County.
Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels says Brey devoted over three decades of his life to serving the community with unwavering commitment, deep integrity, and a heart full of compassion for his hometown.
Brey represented the Clipper City’s fourth aldermanic district since 1992 and was a council president, finance committee chair, plan commission member, and more.
Nickels also called Brey a friend, a mentor, and a man who truly believed in the power and the potential of public service to truly make people’s lives better.
Manitowoc County Board Chairman Tyler Martell said that while he and Brey didn’t always see eye to eye politically, they both had similar paths at the local level.
Both earned degrees in political science, they were both elected young, and they even shared a birthday.
Manitowoc County Sheriff Dan Hartwig echoed many of these sentiments, saying, “We are grateful for his service and the positive impact he made. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jim’s family, friends, and colleagues as they navigate this difficult time.”
Brey represented the fourth district at the county level as well.
He also served as board chairman, finance committee chairman, and was appointed county treasurer before he passed.
No funeral details have been announced as of yet.
