Thomas Menino Passes Away at 71

Thomas Menino, Boston's longest-serving Mayor, passed away this morning. He had his loving wife, family, and friends by his side as he succumbed to a battle with advanced cancer.

Photo from BostonGlobe.com

Menino, referred to by many as the "urban mechanic," always chose to take a ground-level view of Boston, instead of getting caught up in distant visions for the future. This approach helped Menino turn Boston into an innovative hub, attracting new companies and jobs and adding millions of square feet of new buildings. 

Mr. Menino's health has been declining in recent years, and he notably broke his leg and was hospitalized three days before the Marathon Bombings in 2013. With characteristic resilience, he checked himself out of the hospital against his doctor's orders so that he could be present at the interfaith service that followed the tragedy.

"This is Boston," Menino spoke prophetically on that day, "a city with courage, compassion, and a strength that knows no bounds."

Menino leaves behind an important and enduring legacy in the city of Boston, and one that will not soon be forgotten. 

Source: BostonGlobe.com