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From The Associated Press:
Former Gov. and U.S. Rep. Thomas J. Meskill died early Monday in Florida, his wife said. He was 79.
He had the blood disorder myelodysplasia and had gone to the Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, Fla., on Sunday to have blood drawn. Mary Meskill, his wife of 52 years, said he died of a heart attack at the hospital about 4 a.m. Thomas Meskill, a Republican, was governor from 1971 to 1975.
In a brief phone interview from her home in Delray Beach, Fla., Mary Meskill said she was too distraught to answer questions.
"We're grieving," she said.
Asked about her husband's life, she said, "He was a powerhouse. That we know."
Mary Meskill said a funeral has not been scheduled, but it will be held in Meskill's hometown of New Britain.
He first ran for office in 1958, when he made an unsuccessful bid for the state Senate. The following year, he ran for mayor and narrowly lost.
Meskill won in 1962 and served as mayor until 1964.
He was elected to Congress representing the 6th District in 1966 and served until 1970.
He was elected governor in 1971. When he entered office, the state had a $260 million deficit. By 1973, the deficit had been erased and the state treasury had a surplus of $65 million.
During Meskill's tenure, the Department of Environmental Protection was established and a state lottery system was instituted as Meskill's alternative to a state income tax.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford named him a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, and he served until 1993. During his last year on the bench, Meskill was chief judge.
Former U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson, a friend of Meskill's, said he transcended politics and connected with all of those he served.
"It was a trust that he engendered in people and the quality of service that he provided that enabled him to be mayor and then congressman and then ultimately governor and judge," she said. "That is a quality that in today's world people are longing for."
House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, said Meskill was well-respected at the Capitol, even though he had left office years ago.
"I can tell you that I never heard anything negative about Governor Meskill," he said. "He was a good leader and managed this state very well."
New London Superior Court Judge Robert Leuba, who was legal counsel to Meskill from 1973 to 1975, said Meskill brought about pension reform, requiring companies to set aside money to guard against pension losses in case of bankruptcies. He also credited Meskill with establishing one of the first state environmental protection agencies in the U.S.
"He brought more advancements to Connecticut than people will ever know," Leuba said. ------ Associated Press Writers Stephen Singer, Susan Haigh and Pat Eaton-Robb contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press
"Tom Meskill was a giant, a legend and a public servant without peer. Judge Meskill served in uniform, as a Mayor, as a Congressman,, as Governor, and a Federal Judge. Tom Meskill reformed state government and was a leader on some many fronts, but most importantly he was a kind man who selflessly gave everything to his community, his state and country. If you were Tom Meskill's friend, and there were many, you were his friend for life. The state and country has lost a great man and Republicans everywhere owe him and his family their prayers and thanks for a life well lived for others." -- Christopher Healy, Connecticut Republican Chairman
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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