Tribune Chronicle file photo / R. Michael Semple Trumbull County Coroner Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk sits in his office in February 2017 among stacks of case files. He was talking about the growing heroin epidemic and the effect it was having on his workload. Dr. Germaniuk died Friday at the Cleveland Clinic following an illness. He was 64.

WARREN — Trumbull County Coroner Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk was an “eccentric” man known for intriguing story telling and whose expert forensic knowledge ended up in books, court rooms and numerous articles.

Germaniuk, 64, first elected coroner in 2008, died Friday at the Cleveland Clinic following an illness.

“He was an intriguing man, who was so knowledgeable in his field. He was beyond measure,” said Shelley Mazanetz, who in the last few weeks retired from the office as chief forensic investigator. “I am going to miss him dearly — his quirkiness, his horn-rimmed glasses, his white hair and his sometimes dry jokes.”

The office will continue to operate according to Germaniuk’s standards, said Kathleen M. Meszaros, chief forensic investigator.

“His family, friends and all who worked with him in the community will miss him. He was a brilliant forensic pathologist and a kind and compassionate coroner. The dedication to his work was extraordinary,” Meszaros said in a statement.

Until the county hires a forensic pathologist to conduct autopsies — Germaniuk wasn’t only an elected coroner, but also was the county’s only forensic pathologist — they will be conducted by Dr. Thomas James and in criminal cases, the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office. James will be able to sign death certificates as acting deputy coroner.

The office’s staff is fully capable of making sure the office runs smoothly without Germaniuk because of his training and guidance, Mazanetz said.

His wife, Genevieve Germaniuk, agreed.

“He brought death investigation in Trumbull County into the 21st century. He lived by the premise that there were innocent people in jail that never committed a crime and guilty people walking around free because of a lousy death investigation. He trained his staff that way, and I am confident the office will continue to run in the same manner,” she said.

Dan Polivka, chair of the Trumbull County Democratic Party, said James is not interested in a permanent appointment to the position of coroner. The party will come together and vote on a replacement to serve out the remainder of Germaniuk’s term, which ends at the end of 2020.

Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins said the county isn’t losing only a “great pathologist” but also a “thoughtful human being” who always took the time to review materials with Watkins’ office to help prepare for trial.

“We are still early in the process of mourning his loss — a great loss to the community — we worked together over 20 years, on hundreds of cases. He will truly be missed and he is truly irreplaceable,” Watkins said. “I am confident the coroner’s office will continue to function well with the solid staff put in place by Dr. Germaniuk and Dr. Soboslay.”

Germaniuk was hired by the late Dr. Theodore “Ted” Soboslay, who served as county coroner from 1988 until Germaniuk took the helm. Soboslay hired Germaniuk as a forensic pathologist in 1998. The coroner, who leaves behind a wife and son, moved to Trumbull County from Washington, D.C., where he served as chief medical examiner.

“He said he wanted to fit his son for a fishing vest, rather than a bulletproof vest,” said State Rep. Michael O’Brien, D-Warren, who was a Trumbull County commissioner when the county hired Germaniuk for $100,000 per year, the highest paid salary in the county at the time.

Germaniuk was the subject of “many mystery books and many national periodicals,” O’Brien said. “And his testimony was hardly ever crossed examined because he was so thorough. He was 100 percent dedicated to his vocation.

“These are size 20 shoes that need to be filled by the next county coroner. Size 20 shoes, with the credentials and expertise to fill them. It will be difficult to find that again,” O’Brien said. “He was also immersed in the community, always speaking to service groups and church organizations. You would have thought he was born and raised in Warren, as much a part of the community he was.”

April Caraway, executive director of the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board, said her office’s relationship with Germaniuk’s office ensured the county had access to data related to the heroin epidemic before many other communities were able to obtain that information from their local offices.

“Other communities would ask how we got our numbers so fast — it was because, under his leadership and with his good staff, they sent them to us as soon as they had them. He was a good partner and spoke at many of our functions,” Caraway said.

Germaniuk treated the people affected by the opioid crisis with dignity and respect,and did autopsies on all overdose victims, Caraway said.

“That provides the family with a sense of closure and enabled prosecutors to pursue cases if they had a lead on an overdose death because of the evidence collected during the autopsies,” Caraway said. “He truly cared about people. He saw tragedy day in and day out, but he was always a good friend and a good man to work with.”

In 2015, Germaniuk won the Sam Gerber Award from the Ohio State Coroners Association. He was featured in and consulted on several James Patterson novels, taught hunting safety classes and warned the public of the dangers of opioid addiction.

When paramedics brought a body in and asked Germaniuk if they could have done anything differently to save the person’s life, he took the time to review the case with them and teach them, Mazanetz said.

“The job could be very overwhelming, especially at the height of the overdose deaths. But he never let it overwhelm him. He plugged away and treated everyone with dignity and respect,” Mazanetz said.