Valley and presidential political consultant Vic Rubenstein dead after surgery

LIBERTY

Vic Rubenstein, longtime Mahoning Valley marketing and political consultant who died late Tuesday, will be fondly remembered by friends, family and clients for his hard work, loyalty, creativity and energy.

“He was bigger than life,” said Emily Love, a senior copywriter at VCRubenstein Associates Inc., who worked for Rubenstein from 1985 to 1989, and then since 1999. “He was an extremely intelligent and hardworking man. No matter how he was feeling, he gave his attention to anyone who needed him. He wasn’t judgmental.”

Rubenstein, 72, died at 11:15 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from complications after surgery.

Rubenstein was the first Pete the Penguin mascot at Youngstown State University, where he graduated in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in education. He was also his senior-class president and managing editor of The Jambar, the school’s newspaper.

He was one of the Valley’s most-prominent political consultants. While he largely worked for Democrats, he would also help Republicans. One of his earliest clients was Mike DeWine, currently Ohio’s attorney general, who also served as a U.S. House member, lieutenant governor and a U.S. senator.

“We became very good friends,” DeWine said. “I always looked at Vic as an artist. He was very creative with his work. He was able to touch an emotional part of people [with his work]. I’m very sad that this happened.”

Rubenstein also helped organize events for Presidents Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.

Read more about him in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.