Former Mesa Mayor and WWII hero Wayne Pomeroy dies at 96

• Former Mesa Mayor and WWII veteran Wayne Pomeroy died at 96
• He received the Silver Star, Purple Heart and Air Medal for his actions in WWII
• His family has owned and operated the Pomeroy's Men's and Missionary Store downtown for 68 years

Former Mesa Mayor and WWII veteran Wayne Pomeroy died Wednesday at the age of 96.

"He was a real hero of mine," said Mesa Mayor John Giles, who served on the City Council with Pomeroy in the late 1990s. "He was just this wonderful, iconic, charming man."

Giles shared a connection with Pomeroy for decades. When Giles was a senior at Westwood High School in 1978, he was part of then-Mayor Pomeroy's youth council. The connection didn't stop there. Giles' mother was cousins with Pomeroy's wife, Cecil.

Cecil Henrie Pomeroy, his wife of 72 years, died in 2017.

"I went out to visit him a month or two ago at his home," Giles said. "I don't know anybody who loves the city of Mesa as much as or more than Wayne."

Pomeroy was a "true visionary, with energy and optimism to share," former Mesa City Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh wrote in a tweet.

"He was one of the best elected officials to ever serve Mesa," he tweeted.

Pomeroy was instrumental in moving courts, police stations and fire departments downtown and in creating downtown's Centennial Hall — called "The House That Wayne Built" in a 1987 Arizona Republic article — which is part of the Mesa Convention Center.

Pomeroy family's long history in Mesa

Pomeroy was born and raised near downtown Mesa. His great-grandfather was Francis Pomeroy — one of the city's founding fathers.

After graduating from Mesa High School, Pomeroy enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1941. He served as a tail-gunner on a B-24 bomber before being shot by enemy fire above Vienna, Austria, in 1944.

Wounded, he still managed to shoot down the enemy plane, according to the East Valley Veterans Parade Association. He received the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and Air Medal for his actions in WWII.

Pomeroy attended Brigham Young University and New York University for bachelor's and master's degrees in business before returning to Mesa in 1950.

A year later, he opened downtown's Pomeroy Men's Store, now called Pomeroy's Men's and Missionary Store.

The store, off Main Street between Robson and Macdonald, is owned by Pomeroy's daughter, Michel Pomeroy Fluhr.

Pomeroy's image in 2015 joined a long line of sculptures lining downtown Mesa's Main Street. A statue of the former mayor and airman was placed alongside other sculptures  commemorating the East Valley city.

Pomeroy is survived by his four daughters, 11 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren.

Details on a memorial service were not yet available. 

Reach reporter Joshua Bowling at jbowling@azcentral.com or 602-444-8138. Follow him on Twitter @MrJoshuaBowling.

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