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Steve Mensch, who served as the president and general manager of Tyler Perry Studios, has recently died on December 6, 2024, at the age of 62. Steve lost his life in a plane crash that happened in Homosassa, Florida at 8 p.m. on Friday, as per The Mirror.
The Florida Highway Patrol revealed that Steve's plane crashed near the intersection of US-98 at West White Dogwood Drive. NBC News stated that Steve was the only person inside the plane and was flying the single-engine fixed-wing airplane when the incident happened.
Notably, Steve Mensch died on the spot immediately after the crash. A Facebook post by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office mentioned that Highway 19 was shut down as soon as deputies responded to the spot and reopened at around 2:20 am. The post even requested everyone to be careful while driving at the spot.
A report by NBC News says that Tyler Perry Studios paid tribute to Steve Mensch in a statement, which reads:
"Steve was a cherished member of our team for more than 8 years, and well beloved in the community of Atlanta. It is hard to imagine not seeing him smiling throughout the halls. We will miss him dearly. Our heart goes out to his family as we all send them our prayers."
The comments section of Citrus County Sheriff's Office's social media post was also flooded with tributes. Users were spotted recalling their experience when the incident happened, with one of them saying that he heard the plane going over their house.
Steve Mensch was working with Tyler Perry Studios for many years
Mensch's LinkedIn page stated that he was a board member at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and associated with the Governor's Advisory Committee on Film, Music & Digital Entertainment. Although a lot of details about Steve's early life remain unknown, he completed his higher studies at the University at Buffalo.
Steve was a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, and the bio on his LinkedIn page stated:
"He's best known for his ability to see opportunities and developments, allowing him to strategically push the industry into new arenas. His efforts have created billions of dollars of economic impact and placed him at the forefront of some of the most groundbreaking projects in film/TV production history."
Steve Mensch had a long list of experience with different companies over the years. He started as an Assistant General Manager and Sales Manager at Embassy Suites. He served a similar position at Feature Systems Inc. after joining AT&T as an International Account Executive.
Starting in 2005, he became the Director of Studio and Location Operations alongside Production Partnerships at Turner Broadcasting. Steve then came to Qingdao Oriental Movie Industrial Park as the President and CEO and was the President of Third Rail Studios for a year in 2016.
The same year, he joined Tyler Perry Studios as a President and General Manager of Studio Operations and worked at the place until his recent demise. The official website of the company featured an interview with Steve Mensch, possibly taken before 2017. He said during the conversation:
"For me working for an individual who is creative and leading the vision for creating a home for creatives is incredibly energizing. Tyler Perry Studios is making history where history was made."
According to WFMJ, Steve Mensch's survivors include a wife named Danila alongside their three children.
