Former Florida Gov. Reubin Askew dead at 85

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Former Florida Gov. Reubin Askew was remembered yesterday by Democrats and Republicans as a leader who left enduring legacies in open government and ethics, and as a champion for gender and racial equality.

But the humble Panhandle Democrat saw his many accomplishments in a different light.

"I didn't think I was particularly remarkable," Askew said in a 1998 interview. "I was just there."

Askew, who served as governor from 1971 to 1979, died yesterday. He was 85.

"He was humble, he was visionary, he was wise and effective," Democrat Bob Graham, who succeeded Askew as governor and later served three terms in the U.S. Senate, said in a telephone interview.

It's a feeling also shared by Republicans.

-- AP

SEE PHOTOSRecent notable deaths