Former Attorney General and Pennsylvania governor, Dick Thornburgh, died at his retirement home on New Years Eve. The cause of his death is currently unknown. Throughout his career, Thornburgh was a federal prosecutor in Pittsburg and a Republican governor.
According to The Sun, his eldest son, John Thornburgh, told Penn Live: “There was nothing on his to-do list that he didn’t check off. So his life was full.” John described his father as “a wonderful family man”.
He continued: “The last couple of months he’s been in a slow decline. He died peacefully with my mother at his side. It was very important for her that she was able to visit with him in light of all these restrictions.”
Thornburgh has been in public service since the 1960s when he served as a U.S. attorney in Pennsylvania from 1969 to 1975. His work is well known for his ability to uphold the law during cases regarding prosecuting drug traffickers and political corruption. From 1975 to 1977, he served as the assistant attorney general within the Department of Justice’s criminal division, where he built his track record on investigating criminal activity throughout the US and within the lawmakers in Washington. He served as Governor of Pennsylvania for two consecutive terms from 1979 to 1987. He was then appointed the US Attorney General by President Ronald Reagan. He also continued his position during the administration of George H.W. Bush. Thornburgh was excellent at identifying criminal networks and possible future criminal organizations. He was also a supporter of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was motivated by his son that became disabled due to an auto accident.
Democratic Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania ordered the US and state flags on all government facilities to fly the American flag at the halfway mark after Thornburgh’s death. Wolf stated Thornburgh had “devoted his life to caring for the people of our commonwealth and our nation”.
“Governor Thornburgh served two terms as governor of Pennsylvania, and calm, grounded leadership was a hallmark of his governorship,” he published in a statement. “Governor Thornburgh dedicated his life to public service, and his contributions to our commonwealth and our nation will not be forgotten. All of Pennsylvania mourns the loss of one of our great public servants.”
Former Republican Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge paid tribute to a “remarkable public servant and an even better man”. “Dick Thornburgh led a life worth celebrating. His public service was a model of integrity and character that anyone seeking office would be wise to follow,” he posted on Twitter. “Dick Thornburgh led a life worth celebrating.
According to civil rights attorney Sam Bagenstos: “Dick Thornburgh was not only the last good Republican Attorney General; he was also a steadfast fighter for disability rights who was key to passing the ADA. And just a class act all around.”
For the remainder of his career, Thornburgh was a strong advocate for disability rights, and offered his investigative services to public companies after he retired from government. He also became a consultant that would communicate with both public and private entities in order to help them provide solutions for use with their staffs.