Bob O'Connor
Encyclopedia
Robert E. O'Connor, Jr. (December 9, 1944 – September 1, 2006) was the Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from January 3, 2006, until his death.
neighborhood, and a longtime resident of Squirrel Hill
, O'Connor graduated from Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School
, worked briefly as a steelworker, and then entered the restaurant business. He eventually became executive vice-president of the Pappan chain of restaurants in the Pittsburgh area.
He and his wife, Judy Levine O'Connor, had one daughter, Heidy Garth, and two sons, Corey and Terrence. Father Terry O'Connor is a Roman Catholic priest
, currently the pastor of Good Samaritan Parish in Ambridge, Pennsylvania
, and St. John The Baptist in Baden, Pennsylvania
.
in 1991. He served on the council under mayors Sophie Masloff
and Tom Murphy
.
He challenged Murphy in the Democratic primaries for mayor in 1997 and 2001. The 2001 race was especially contentious, as there was a five-way Democratic party primary. Both O'Connor and Murphy spent more than $1 million on their respective campaigns and in the end earned around 30,000 votes each in a very close race. O'Connor lost the race by 699 votes, and conceded the race several days after the primary.
In 1998, he was elected City Council President. He resigned from that position to work for Pennsylvania
Governor Ed Rendell
.
, a member of the City Council, and Michael Lamb, a County Row Office Holder. On November 8, O'Connor defeated Republican
lawyer Joe Weinroth, winning the mayoral office. On January 3, 2006, he was sworn into office.
' win in Super Bowl XL
.
During his brief tenure, O'Connor started the "Redd Up Pittsburgh" campaign. ("Redd up" is a Pittsburgh English
term which means "to clean up" or "straighten up".) http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/redduppgh/index.html, and strongly emphasized the positives of the city. Each month, from November 2006 to November 2007, local volunteer organization Pittsburgh Cares hosted a "Redd Up Pittsburgh" day in a different neighborhood to honor him. On November 17, 2006, the O'Connor family was presented with Pittsburgh Cares the Hall of Fame Shining Lights Award for the former mayor's "Redd Up Pittsburgh" initiative. He was the first to receive this award.
, a rare brain cancer http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06192/704954-53.stm. He began intense treatment, including chemotherapy
, immediately. Though the prognosis was initially good, he experienced many complications including seizures and infections.
In August, his condition deteriorated http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06243/717860-100.stm. Yarone Zober
, recently appointed deputy mayor, served as acting mayor in his absence. During his illness, thousands of black and gold rubber bracelets, inscribed with the words "Bob O'Connor...Everybody's Mayor" and "The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society" were sold. The proceeds were earmarked to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society . http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/9726643/detail.html
On September 1, 2006, at 8:55 pm EDT, O'Connor died at UPMC Shadyside Hospital
, 24 hours after being removed from life support. He was 61 years old. City Council President Luke Ravenstahl
became mayor in the wake of O'Connor's death. He was sworn in at 10:36 pm EDT at the City County Building in downtown Pittsburgh.
O'Connor's funeral and burial followed on September 7, 2006, at the Cathedral of Saint Paul
and Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. The grave is located in the south-west area of the cemetery in the Gethsemane section, lot 6, grave 5. The GPS coordinates are N 40° 24.770 W 079° 55.838. His son Terrence, a Roman Catholic priest, delivered the homily
at the funeral Mass. http://postgazette.com/pg/06250/719816-85.stm
Personal life and early career
Born in the GreenfieldGreenfield (Pittsburgh)
Greenfield is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is represented on by Doug Shields.Greenfield is a member of Pittsburgh's 15th Ward, which includes the neighborhoods of Greenfield and Four Mile Run. Greenfield is adjacent to the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Hazelwood to...
neighborhood, and a longtime resident of Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill is a residential neighborhood in the east end of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The city officially divides it into two neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill North and Squirrel Hill South, but it is almost universally treated as a single neighborhood...
, O'Connor graduated from Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School
Taylor Allderdice High School
Taylor Allderdice High School, also referred to by the Pittsburgh Public Schools as “Pittsburgh Allderdice” or informally by students as "Dice", is a public high school located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s East End. Allderdice is the "largest of the Pittsburgh Public Schools'...
, worked briefly as a steelworker, and then entered the restaurant business. He eventually became executive vice-president of the Pappan chain of restaurants in the Pittsburgh area.
He and his wife, Judy Levine O'Connor, had one daughter, Heidy Garth, and two sons, Corey and Terrence. Father Terry O'Connor is a Roman Catholic priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, currently the pastor of Good Samaritan Parish in Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge is a borough in Beaver County in Western Pennsylvania, incorporated in 1905 and named after the American Bridge Company. Ambridge is located 16 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, alongside the Ohio River. In 1910, 5,205 people lived in Ambridge; in 1920, 12,730 people lived there, and in...
, and St. John The Baptist in Baden, Pennsylvania
Baden, Pennsylvania
Baden is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River. The population was 4,377 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Baden is located at...
.
Political career
O'Connor's political career began with his first election to Pittsburgh City CouncilPittsburgh City Council
The Pittsburgh City Council is the legislative body of the City of Pittsburgh. It consists of nine members. City council members are chosen by plurality elections in each of nine districts....
in 1991. He served on the council under mayors Sophie Masloff
Sophie Masloff
Sophie Masloff is an American politician. A long-time member of the Democratic Party and civil servant, she was elected to the Pittsburgh City Council and later served as the mayor of Pittsburgh from 1988 to 1994...
and Tom Murphy
Tom Murphy (mayor)
Thomas J. "Tom" Murphy, Jr. is a Democratic politician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From January 1994 until January 2006 he served as mayor of Pittsburgh...
.
He challenged Murphy in the Democratic primaries for mayor in 1997 and 2001. The 2001 race was especially contentious, as there was a five-way Democratic party primary. Both O'Connor and Murphy spent more than $1 million on their respective campaigns and in the end earned around 30,000 votes each in a very close race. O'Connor lost the race by 699 votes, and conceded the race several days after the primary.
In 1998, he was elected City Council President. He resigned from that position to work for Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Governor Ed Rendell
Ed Rendell
Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...
.
Mayoral election
In 2005, O'Connor did not face Tom Murphy, who decided to not seek a fourth term as mayor. O'Connor was able to raise the most money, collect many endorsements and beat a group of challengers. Among the runners up in the May 17 Democratic primary were Bill PedutoBill Peduto
William Peduto, Democrat, was elected to Pittsburgh City Council, District 8, in November, 2001, and to a second four-year term in 2005.In the spring primary of 2005, Peduto ran for two positions. Besides running for re-election for his council seat, Peduto was a candidate for mayor...
, a member of the City Council, and Michael Lamb, a County Row Office Holder. On November 8, O'Connor defeated Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
lawyer Joe Weinroth, winning the mayoral office. On January 3, 2006, he was sworn into office.
Legacy as mayor
While in office and after his passing, O'Connor was widely referred to as "The People's Mayor." A lifelong sports fan, O'Connor took office soon before the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
' win in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
.
During his brief tenure, O'Connor started the "Redd Up Pittsburgh" campaign. ("Redd up" is a Pittsburgh English
Pittsburgh English
Pittsburgh English, popularly known by outsiders as Pittsburghese, is the dialect of American English spoken by many especially older residents of Pittsburgh and parts of surrounding Western Pennsylvania in the United States, a group referred to by locals and others as Yinzers.-Overview:Many of the...
term which means "to clean up" or "straighten up".) http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/redduppgh/index.html, and strongly emphasized the positives of the city. Each month, from November 2006 to November 2007, local volunteer organization Pittsburgh Cares hosted a "Redd Up Pittsburgh" day in a different neighborhood to honor him. On November 17, 2006, the O'Connor family was presented with Pittsburgh Cares the Hall of Fame Shining Lights Award for the former mayor's "Redd Up Pittsburgh" initiative. He was the first to receive this award.
Illness and death
O'Connor had been in office just seven months when, in early July 2006, he complained of chronic fatigue and underwent a battery of tests. On July 10, 2006, O'Connor was diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphomaLymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
, a rare brain cancer http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06192/704954-53.stm. He began intense treatment, including chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
, immediately. Though the prognosis was initially good, he experienced many complications including seizures and infections.
In August, his condition deteriorated http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06243/717860-100.stm. Yarone Zober
Yarone Zober
Yarone Zober, a Democrat, currently serves as chief of staff to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
, recently appointed deputy mayor, served as acting mayor in his absence. During his illness, thousands of black and gold rubber bracelets, inscribed with the words "Bob O'Connor...Everybody's Mayor" and "The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society" were sold. The proceeds were earmarked to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society . http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/9726643/detail.html
On September 1, 2006, at 8:55 pm EDT, O'Connor died at UPMC Shadyside Hospital
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is an $9 billion integrated global nonprofit health enterprise that has 54,000 employees, 20 hospitals, 4,200 licensed beds, 400 outpatient sites and doctors’ offices, a 1.5 million-member health insurance division, as well as commercial and...
, 24 hours after being removed from life support. He was 61 years old. City Council President Luke Ravenstahl
Luke Ravenstahl
Luke Robert Ravenstahl is the current Mayor of Pittsburgh. In September 2006, he became the youngest mayor in Pittsburgh's history at the age of 26. He is among the youngest mayors of a major city in American history....
became mayor in the wake of O'Connor's death. He was sworn in at 10:36 pm EDT at the City County Building in downtown Pittsburgh.
O'Connor's funeral and burial followed on September 7, 2006, at the Cathedral of Saint Paul
Cathedral of Saint Paul in Pittsburgh
The Cathedral of Saint Paul is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
and Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Calvary Catholic Cemetery is located at 718 Hazelwood Avenue in the Greenfield and Hazelwood neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.It was founded in 1886 with the purchase of a 200-acre tract. The first official interment occurred in 1888, though there are graves with earlier dates. As of...
. The grave is located in the south-west area of the cemetery in the Gethsemane section, lot 6, grave 5. The GPS coordinates are N 40° 24.770 W 079° 55.838. His son Terrence, a Roman Catholic priest, delivered the homily
Homily
A homily is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture. In Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a homily is usually given during Mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word...
at the funeral Mass. http://postgazette.com/pg/06250/719816-85.stm
Electoral history
- 2001 Race for Pittsburgh Mayor (Democratic Primary)Pittsburgh mayoral election, 2001The Mayoral election of 2001 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2001. The incumbent mayor, Tom Murphy of the Democratic Party was running for a record-tying third straight term.-Primary elections:...
- Tom Murphy (D), 48%
- Bob O'Connor (D), 47%
- Leroy Hodge (D), 3%
- 2005 Race for Pittsburgh MayorPittsburgh mayoral election, 2005The Mayoral election of 2005 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2005. The incumbent mayor, Tom Murphy of the Democratic Party chose not to run for what would have been a record fourth straight term.-Democratic primary:...
- Bob O'Connor (D), 67%
- Joseph Weinroth (R), 27%