Art Blakey, Longtime Minnesota State Fair Police Chief, Dies

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With less than three weeks to go until the "Great Minnesota Get Together," a mainstay of the fair will be missing this year.

Art Blakey, who served as police chief for the Minnesota State Fair for 37 years, passed away Saturday morning. His wife, Carolyn, told WCCO-TV that he died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, after a long battle with chronic heart failure.

Blakey, 83, grew up in St. Paul, and started his career in law enforcement at the Ramsey County Sheriff's office. He eventually would go on to lead what becomes the largest police force in the state for two weeks each year. He was also the first African American police chief for the state fair.

When he retired in 2017, the police building was renamed in his honor.

"As eyes to borders reach, he has touched somebody somehow," said Minnesota State Fair Police Chief Paul Paulos.

Paulos was given his first job from Blakey when he was 21. The two remained friends as Paulos took over after Blakey retired in 2017.

WCCO-TV was there for his last day on the job in 2017, when he was 82.

"Kind of bittersweet I'm leaving because of so many people I have met," Art said.

And the apple did not fall far from the tree. His daughter, Brooke, became a police officer. Her dad was able to see her earn her sergeant title just last week.

"He taught me what it is to be a police officer, to be a community member," Brooke said. "There's no difference in how my dad treated people. He treated everybody like family. That warm caring person, that's who he was. That private person, man of very few words, and he meant what he said when he said it."

The Minnesota State Fair released a statement, saying in part, "Our hearts are breaking today. It's impossible to express what Art Blakey means to the State Fair … All who knew this powerful and gentle giant were touched by his overwhelming spirit. Our deepest sympathies to Art's beautiful family."

Brooke said it will be bittersweet going to the fair this year, but knows her father made millions safe and smile for a Great Minnesota Together.

"He wouldn't want it to be any different," Brooke said.

Art and Carolyn were married for almost four decades.