Tom Menino—a legendary figure in the city of Boston who rose to national prominence last year in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing—died this morning at the age of 71.
Menino served as mayor of Boston from 1993 to 2013, and his 20 years in office are the longest in the history of the city. A man whose thick Boston accent and feisty nature defined him as much as his politics, he oversaw massive changes in the city and helped reshape his beloved city.
His health problems worsened as he aged, however, and after leaving office at the beginning of this year he revealed that he was suffering from advanced-stage cancer. Last week, he told the Boston Globe that he would no longer be receiving treatment for his illness.
As you would expect, tributes from both local and out of state politicians have been pouring in:
Boston has lost a political giant, and Diane and I have lost a friend. (1/2)
— Deval Patrick (@MassGovernor) October 30, 2014
Our hearts and prayers go out to Angela and the whole Menino family. And we thank God for the service and the life of Tom Menino. (2/2)
— Deval Patrick (@MassGovernor) October 30, 2014
Today the City mourns together. http://t.co/zwJja83wdK pic.twitter.com/ZBNX0XJocJ
— Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) October 30, 2014
Tom Menino cared deeply about the people of Boston & worked tirelessly to better his city http://t.co/iz0qCRSLZo pic.twitter.com/lv5ykF9wuw
— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) October 30, 2014
[via Boston.com]