Former AG Kosack passes away

Rexford C. Kosack

Former CNMI attorney general Rexford C. Kosack passed away Thursday in his house on Saipan after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 68.

In response to Saipan Tribune’s inquiry, former Superior Court associate judge Timothy H. Bellas said last night that he was in the same room with Kosack when he passed away.

“Quite obviously, I was very emotional when he passed away. I lost my best friend but the Commonwealth lost a wonderful member of the community,” Bellas said.

Bellas said he is here on island and came with Kosack and the latter’s wife to help close his (Kosack) law office, among other things.

He said he is staying in Kosack’s house and was with him every day from the day they arrived last Nov. 24 from the U.S. mainland.

Rexford Kosack and his wife, Clarie S. Kosack, have two children—Vanessa Airen Kosack and Nicolas Alexander Kosack.

Bellas said that Kosack first came to Saipan in the early ’80s to work as chief of the Office of the Attorney General’s Criminal Division. Kosack then went to California and recruited Bellas to work as a member of the OAG’s Criminal Division. Bellas arrived on Saipan on April 4, 1982.

The former judge said Kosack was without a doubt an excellent lawyer and his best friend.

“We faced many good and not so good things relying on each other,” Bellas said.

He said prior to starting treatments for his illness, Kosack was very involved with the Saipan Community Church.

“He enjoyed a very cordial and friendly relationship with the bishop,” Bellas said.

Aside from being AG from 1983 to 1986 under the Pedro P. Tenorio administration, Kosack held the position of trade counsel and was a special judge of the Superior Court prior to 1989.

Bellas said Kosack assisted the 2nd Constitutional Convention in drafting some of the constitutional amendments that were presented to the voters for ratification. Bellas said one of Kosack’s more significant accomplishments was his involvement with the Marriage Encounter program for many years.

“Not only did he and his wife assist with putting on the weekend programs but they hosted the couples in their home for many of the gatherings after the encounters, called Steps and Deeper Steps,” he said.

Bellas said he believes there are many couples in the community that benefitted from those programs.

Kosack also served as special master during the probate of Larry Lee Hillblom, who was the co-founders of DHL Express.