Ted Sherman reports for NJ.com:
Former Gov. Brendan T. Byrne, who left an enduring legacy in New Jersey that ranged from enacting the state’s first income tax and the legalization of casino gambling to the development of the Meadowlands sports complex and preservation of the environmentally fragile Pine Barrens, died today.
He was 93 years old.
The announcement of his death was made by Gov. Chris Christie, paying homage to “an extraordinary career of public service.”
Christie said he considered the late governor a mentor and a friend.
“My life is richer for having known him as I am sure are the lives of every person who had the privilege to meet him,” said Christie.
A Democrat and two-term governor from 1974 to 1982, Byrne weathered periods of extreme unpopularity, was criticized as stubborn, stiff, and was widely seen as lacking in charisma.
Yet his reputation as an party elder and statesman grew, and he became warmly regarded; beloved even, in the decades after leaving office. He remained an instantly recognizable public figure, relishing appearances, telling funny stories, and giving advice.
In many ways, he was unusual for a New Jersey politician. He couldn’t remember names and greeted most with a wave and a “Hi ya!” A former prosecutor and Superior Court judge, his best character witness might have been Angelo “Gyp” DeCarlo, an underworld crime boss secretly recorded on an FBI wiretap complaining that in a state where everything seemed to be for sale, Byrne couldn’t be bought. It became a defining message for his campaign for governor.
New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne, right, sits beside President Jimmy Carter, center, at a 1977 White House meeting. (Charles Bennett/AP)
Related stories:
A timeline of former governor Brendan Byrne’s life (NJ.com)
Brendan Byrne, Former NJ Governor, Is Dead at 93 (New York Times)
Brendan Byrne, two-term New Jersey governor in 1970s, at 93 (WaPost)
Former New Jersey governor Brendan Byrne dies (USA Today)
Like this? Use form in upper right to receive free updates
See popular posts from the last 30 days in right column —
>>
See popular posts from the last 30 days in right column —
>>
