Friday, March 12, 1999
Jurist found dead at his home
Hubbell had said he was ill
BY JANICE MORSE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEBANON — Fred C. Hubbell, a municipal judge for the past four years and a Warren County lawyer for nearly three decades, died at home Thursday morning.
“I was amazed how quick this information was going throughout our community. I think most people are somewhat shocked and taken aback,” said Police Chief Ken Burns, who was a police patrolman in 1971 when he met Mr. Hubbell, then an assistant city prosecutor.
“He's a young man, and it's a tragic loss to our community to be deceased at such a young age, when he still had so much to give.”
Mr. Hubbell was 56. He had served just over a year of a six-year term he won in the 1997 general election. Mr. Hubbell was appointed to the post William Kaufman vacated in December 1994, then won the remainder of Mr. Kaufman's term in the November 1995 election.
Mr. Hubbell's death comes while his 55-year-old brother, Michael, continues recovering from five-bypass surgery he underwent after a heart attack less than three weeks ago, said Mr. Hubbell's nephew, Marty Hubbell.
What's more, Mr. Hubbell died just hours after a young Hungarian man arrived here to live with him and attend college under his sponsorship.
The Hungarian, whom police identified as Balazs Szemes, 20, “is pretty shell-shocked,” said Marty Hubbell, 25. “He's not sure what's going on.”
Police said there was no sign of foul play, but an autopsy was being conducted to determine the cause of Mr. Hubbell's death.
Mr. Hubbell was a world traveler who had a history of sponsoring foreign students' educations, Marty Hubbell said. At the time of his death, Mr. Hubbell was host to three guests, including Mr. Szemes and another Hungarian, in his home on Kerns Drive, his nephew said.
One of them called police to report finding Mr. Hubbell unconscious on the bathroom floor at 9:11 a.m. Thursday, Lebanon Police Sgt. Richard Bens said.
Sgt. Bens, who was uncertain which guest discovered Mr. Hubbell's body, said Coroner Warren C. Young Jr. estimated Mr. Hubbell had died about 3 a.m.
About 12 hours earlier, at about 3 p.m. Wednesday, Mr. Hubbell had left his law office, saying, “I don't think I feel too well. I think I'm going to run home for a little bit, and I'll be back later,” said Lecia Calvert, his longtime secretary.
“He didn't come back, but he gave no indication he was getting really sick,” Ms. Calvert said. “Then he just didn't show up for work (Thursday).”
Marty Hubbell said it's somehow fitting that his uncle, a lifelong Warren County resident, died at home.
“He's traveled all over the world, and he'd always say his favorite place in the world was in southwestern Ohio,” Marty Hubbell said. “He said the people were incredibly friendly and nice, and it was as beautiful as any place he'd been.”
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