‘One of a kind.’ Miami Beach Commissioner Mark Samuelian dies at 58
Miami Beach Commissioner Mark Samuelian died Wednesday after an “unexpected illness,” his partner said. He was 58.
Samuelian, who was known for his “resident first” governing style and a focus on public safety, took office in 2017 and was reelected in 2021. He was born in Boston and bought his first home in Miami Beach in 2003.
The news of his death stunned the city, leading to messages of sadness and admiration from the residents he served and his colleagues on the commission. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava posted her condolences on Twitter.
“He was one of the most kind, big-hearted public servants — a truly rare and special person we will miss dearly,” she wrote.
His partner, Laura Dominguez, told the Miami Herald that Samuelian died from an “unexpected illness” but did not disclose further details.
She said he was a “one of a kind” man who was always willing to help others. “I am completely heartbroken. Today, I lost the love of my life and my best friend,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “Mark Samuelian was truly a wonderful person. He was a man of principle, integrity, and character. He was a true gentleman and treated everyone with respect.”
Samuelian was a fitness enthusiast who enjoyed running across the Venetian Causeway. He was a national chess master who learned the game at age 5 and shared his passion with others by volunteering as a chess tutor at Miami Beach schools.
He was a business executive and financial investor who was the first in his family to receive a college degree, graduating cum laude from Georgia
Tech and later with an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
To his colleagues and constituents he was a hard-working and compassionate leader who always focused on improving living conditions for residents in Miami Beach — whether by addressing flooding concerns or an “anything goes” party atmosphere in South Beach or noisy and emissions-producing gas-powered leaf blowers.
“His loss is a loss for the entire community, and many of us worked very closely with him both during his time as Commissioner and previously with his leadership role at Miami Beach United,” wrote Daniel Ciraldo, a resident and executive director of the Miami Design Preservation League, in an email.
Mayor Dan Gelber announced Samuelian’s death Wednesday evening during the commission meeting: “Our colleague Mark Samuelian has been ill. He passed away a few hours ago.”
Gelber said his colleague worked hard to serve his constituents.
“Mark was a brilliant and thoughtful man who cared deeply for our residents,” Gelber wrote on Facebook. “He was never afraid to stand up for a principle in which he believed.”