Mukilteo councilman recovering from surgery
Published 10:15 pm Friday, May 23, 2008
MUKILTEO — Mukilteo City Councilman Howard “Tony” Tinsley is recovering from heart surgery after suffering a heart attack during a recent City Council meeting.
Tinsley, 67, a council member since 2004, was loaded into an ambulance behind City Hall after he started experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath and other symptoms during an evening council meeting earlier this month.
Three days later, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery at Providence Everett Medical Center’s Colby campus. He’s now at his home, recovering with help from his wife, Diane Tinsley.
“I’m excited to see everyone again and get back in the swing of things,” Tinsley said.
He also had a heart attack in December 2006. The most-recent heart attack happened during the May 5 council meeting. The council had just finished talking about a proposal by Tinsley to preserve Rosehill Community Center, which is planned to be torn down. The council was discussing a plan to resurface streets around Chennault Beach Road when Tinsley started feeling chest pain.
Without drawing much attention to himself, Tinsley quietly got up and walked over to Mukilteo Fire Chief Mike Springer, who was seated nearby with other department managers.
“I told him I was having chest pains and that we need his paramedics over here,” Tinsley said.
Springer walked Tinsley out of the council chambers and to a back door at City Hall. An ambulance arrived moments later to take him to the hospital.
Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine said he figured Tinsley wasn’t feeling well. When Marine spoke out against Tinsley’s proposal to preserve Rosehill, which Tinsley feels strongly about saving, the councilman didn’t offer a rebuttal.
It will be good to have Tinsley back, Marine said.
“Does it change my opinion on Rosehill?” Marine asked, with a laugh. “No.”
Tinsley is biding his time while recovering. He can’t exert force using his upper body, so when he sleeps he must lie flat on his back. For exercise, all he can do is walk inside his house.
“I’m up to walking 15 minutes a day, but it’s all in a big circle around my living room,” Tinsley said. “I’ll be happy to go anywhere but my living room to walk.”
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
