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Tyler Perry Studios GM Steve Mensch funeral
Steve Mensch was mourned Saturday by Georgia's Film and Television industry. Mensch was the president and general manager of Tyler Perry Studios. He died while piloting a plane he built.
ATLANTA, Ga. - Family, friends, and colleagues gathered at the Tara Theatre Saturday afternoon to say goodbye to Steve Mensch, President and General Manager of Tyler Perry Studios. Mensch died Dec. 6 when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida's Gulf Coast.
Dignitaries from Tyler Perry to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to Charles Rivkin, President of the Motion Picture Association, attended the public memorial service.
Loved ones remembered Mensch as a visionary and compassionate leader who forever changed the landscape of the film and television production industry in the state of Georgia.
"I don't think you could find a bigger champion for Georgia's film industry than Steve Mensch. He really built what we have today, and it was his unwavering dedication to making sure Georgia remained a global leader and became a global leader. We have him very much to thank for the success that we enjoy right now," Kelsey Moore, Executive Director of the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition, told FOX 5.
Mensch founded and led organizations like the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition and the Georgia Production Partnership.
Steve Mensch (Credit: Tyler Perry Studios)
He also spearheaded the campaign for Georgia's film tax credit which helps make the state one of the most active places for film and television production in the country.
"I can tell you that the film industry would not be here without that tax incentive," Patricia Taylor, former president of the Georgia Production Partnership, said.
In 2016, Tyler Perry hired Mensch to create and run his namesake studio. Mensch's leadership ultimately transformed the economic landscape of southwest Atlanta and Fulton County.
"Steve was somebody who really upheld the banner of Tyler Perry Studios, of what Tyler Perry envisioned, and he carried it on to greatness. Steve is going to be truly missed by the city of Atlanta," Mayor Andre Dickens said.
Beyond his many career accomplishments, Mensch is remembered for the mentorship, friendship, and love he shared with his community and family.
"One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. When you met him, you knew that you were going to be his friend because he seemed like he just wanted to reach out and help everyone that came around," Taylor said.
"Steve was an incredibly kind person. He always wanted to make sure everyone was included, everyone was invited, and everyone knew that they were welcome," Moore shared.
That legacy of love will live on among the community and his surviving wife and three children.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Steve Mensch Family Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.
The Source: This is an original FOX 5 Atlanta report by Alli Levine.