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"In my opinion Liston Ramsey was one of the outstanding leaders in the state of North Carolina in the 20th century," Haire said Tuesday. "He was the greatest mountain leader since Zeb Vance."
One of the nicest things about Ramsey, Haire said, was that even as powerful as he was when he was speaker of the House, he still remembered the little person.
"They felt free to come up and talk with him, and he would be glad to take his time and talk," Haire said.
Senator Dan Robinson of Cullowhee agreed, saying Tuesday that Ramsey "never forgot where he came from."
"Generally speaking, Western North Carolina is not really a major player in the politics of the state, and the reason for that is not that we don't have good people, it's because our population is much smaller than the rest of the state and we are not always able to get involved as far as money is concerned.
"For example, Wake County has more people than the 11th Congressional District and considerably more money than the 11th Congressional District," Robinson continued. "But here a man from a small, rural county - Madison - comes down to the city of Raleigh, the county of Wake and rises to become the most powerful political figure in the state."
Before his election to the House, Ramsey, a Democrat, served on the Marshall Board of Aldermen. As a legislator, Ramsey was known for his fierce dedication to Western North Carolina and his ability to cut to the heart of an issue. He was quick to remind fellow lawmakers and state officials that their number one job was to represent the people.
Ramsey won numerous awards over the years. The Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center at Western Carolina University is named for him.
According to Haire, Ramsey was a man of integrity.
"Once he gave you his word, you never had to worry about him changing his mind," Haire said.
The former speaker got along with everyone in Raleigh, Haire said, and he was respected by all.
"Even though the Democrats were in control, he had so many Republican friends," Haire said. "They had a great deal of affection for him because he treated them fairly. Liston Ramsey was a gentleman."
"In my humble opinion no one ever did more for WNC than Liston Ramsey. He made sure he made WNC a player in the big picture," Robinson said. "Even those in eastern North Carolina brag on him too because he never forgot them either.
"He will be sorely missed by the people of Western North Carolina," Robinson said. "But it was a bonus for me that I had an opportunity to come to Raleigh while he was still serving."
Haire is sponsoring a resolution in Ramsey's honor that he hopes to read in the House on Tuesday, Sept. 11. A memorial service for Ramsey was planned that day at 1 p.m. in the Legislative Building in Raleigh.
"The service will be in the House he loved," said Haire. "I don't know anyone who loved the institution of the House of Representatives more than Liston B. Ramsey."
Ramsey is survived by two daughters, two sisters, a stepsister and several grandchildren.
Funeral services for Ramsey were scheduled to be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Madison County.
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Liston Ramsey