Tommy Hazouri heads home for hospice care

Hazouri is hospitalized.

Jacksonville political legend Tommy Hazouri is now in hospice care after being hospitalized a day before because of complications related to lung transplant surgery.

“Councilman Tommy Hazouri will be released from The Mayo Clinic later today and will return home under hospice care,” a news release from Hazouri’s City Council office said. “Tommy deeply appreciates all the thoughts, well wishes, and prayers from the Jacksonville community. While his lungs may be failing him, his heart remains full for the people of this city. The Hazouri family asks that you continue respecting their privacy in this difficult time.”

Hazouri’s health deteriorated Tuesday, on what was already a tragic day for the family. His namesake son, Tommy Hazouri Jr., pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of distributing child pornography.

A former teacher and longtime employee of the Duval County School District, the younger Hazouri faces at least five years in federal prison. He was originally accused of 25 state counts but was rearrested and pleaded guilty to one count in federal court, per WJXT and the Florida Times-Union.

The Councilman, meanwhile, has faced severe health challenges dating back to last summer. Shortly after Hazouri became Council President at the end of June, he had lung transplant surgery.

Hazouri has been a fixture in Duval County politics for half a century. He has served in the Florida Legislature, as Mayor, on the Duval County School Board, and finally as a City Council member and Council President through June of this year.

As a former Mayor, Hazouri has had a unique symbiosis with the current occupant of the office, Republican Lenny Curry. They backed each other’s reelections in 2019, with Hazouri appearing in a television ad for Curry that was paid for by a political committee linked to Republicans in the state Senate.

Prayers and well wishes abound for Hazouri throughout the city.