Cozey Weatherspoon. (Courtesy: Gary Common Council/Facebook)
A well-being check for Calumet Township Assessor Cozey Weatherspoon by Gary Police found Weatherspoon unresponsive at his home in Gary Tuesday night, January 23, 2024.
According to friends of Weatherspoon, they had been trying to contact him for several days. Weatherspoon did not show up for an appearance with Lake County Assessor LaTonya Spearman in Gary Monday morning. Spearman and Weatherspoon were scheduled for a 10 a.m. session at J’s Breakfast Club in Gary titled, “Understanding Your Property Taxes.”
Friends of Weatherspoon went to his home Tuesday, a source said. They knocked on the door and didn’t get a response. From outside, they could hear his cell phone ringing.
The Gary Police daily log shows it received a request for a welfare check, at 9:43 p.m. Tuesday, January 23, 2024 to Weatherspoon’s home from Gary’s City Hall.
Atty. Trent McCain, former Gary Deputy Mayor, learned of Weatherspoon’s passing Tuesday night. McCain said in a statement, “Calumet Township Assessor Cozey Weatherspoon was a ‘political animal.’ Nothing brought joy to his voice and to his eyes like talking Lake County politics and talking about the Los Angeles Lakers. Cozey was a stalwart.”
McCain added, “The former 2nd District Councilman survived many battles and always comported himself as a gentleman and a statesman. I stood by his side–last year–when he was elected Vice Chairman of the Gary Democratic Precinct Organization even though he competed for and ultimately lost the top spot. Through it all, however, Cozey Weatherspoon was always about the business and he was always a class act. He will be sorely missed.”
In 2019, Weatherspoon was elected as the Gary 2nd District City Councilman. In 2022, Weatherspoon was elected to serve as the Calumet Township Assessor.
Services for Cozey Weatherspoon were held on Saturday, February 3rd at Trinity United Church of Christ, 1276 W. 20th Avenue, Gary.
Burial was at Washington Memorial Garden in Homewood, IL.
