January 9, 2008 - 10:46pm
Former Senator Walter Kavanaugh dead at 74
By Editor
Tags: Walter Kavanaugh
Walter J. Kavanaugh, who served in the Legislature for 32 years until his retirement yesterday, passed away tonight after a long illness. He was 74. Kavanaugh served in the State Assembly from 1976 to 1998, and in the Senate for the last ten years.
"He was a good husband, a great father and mentor to so many," said his longtime friend, Somerset County Republican Chairman Dale Florio. "His humor kept us from taking politics too seriously. He goods deeds will be remembered forever."
Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. said that "Walter's quick wit ensured that even the driest budget hearing had its humorous points."
"His love for policy and for politics were hallmarks of his distinguished service to the people of Somerset and Morris counties and to the people of New Jersey," Kean said.
Kavanaugh began his political career as a Somerville Board of Education member in 1963 and spent twelve years there before winning an Assembly seat in 1975. He replaced Victor Rizzolo, who did not seek re-election.
When John Ewing retired from the Senate in 1997, Kavanaugh easily won the open seat. He was re-elected in 2001 and 2003. He announced last year that he would not seek re-election, and was replaced by Christopher Bateman.
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Great Guy, Walter
A portion of what is posted on our site tonight, here:
That connection to Notre Dame was an enduring source of pride to the Senator, a fact that would most assuredly become known to anyone who ever spoke to him for any length of time.
A close friend of Walter's, former Assemblyman Dick Kamin tells a wonderful story about Walter from back in the summer of 1993, when both were serving in the General Assembly. The two of them had been designated as representatives from New Jersey, among a group of 18 or so delegates from 14 different states, who traveled to South Africa at the time the determination was being there made to hold elections with universal suffrage, as a consequence of the dismantling of the
apartheid system.They were traveling in Johannesburg, and visited a day care center for 4 5 and 6 year olds in the area of
Soweto. The area was very poor and there was dirt flooring in the school. Dick said the first thing Walter did when he noticed how poor the school was, was to immediately pass the hat among the participants, and he then turned the proceeds over to the school.Then Walter sat down with the little children and proceeded to start teaching them to sing "
Cheer, Cheer for old Notre Dame."by Trochilus
Rest in Peace Walter
You were a great Senator and always a gentleman. You will be missed!
Great, great man.....
Senator Kavanaugh was a great guy and a pretty darn good Senator. He never got too involved in the public partisan silliness of today and always showed a great amount of dignity.
Budget Wit
One more quick story, apropos of Senator Tom Kean, Jr.'s comment about Walter's ability to find humor, even in a dry Budget hearing.
Many years ago during the Kean Administration, then-Assemblyman Kavanaugh was serving on the Joint Budget Committee at the same time as his District 16 Senator, Jack Ewing.
Now, Walter just loved to tease Jack, and always, always looked for any opportunity for a quick quip, or a practical joke.
The budget hearings in question that year were being held in the spacious first floor hearing room in the State House Annex. At one of the long sessions, marked by frequent and lengthy party caucuses, Senator Ewing was seated toward the "front" of the hearing tables, i.e., close to the dais where the Senate and Assembly chairs were presiding. The wide tables were set up in a roughly horseshoe shape.
Walter was seated in the same row, on the same side of the room, but much further down, toward the audience. There had been a "break" lasting a long while, and most of the members were waiting for the next official to testify. It was fairly quiet in the room.
A certain Senate Republican staff person of our acquaintance (namely, me) was standing behind the Senators, when Jack Ewing turned around and motioned to me to come over and speak to him. It seems that Jack had a few brand-new shirts with him, which he said he had bought, but which he said were not the right size. Jack wanted to know if I would be interested. I noticed that one of them was indeed my size, a red and white striped oxford cloth button down.
And as I picked it up to look at it admiringly, Walter noticed. He quietly reached out to the microphone on the wide table in front of him, and slid it over next to him.
"ATTENTION K-MART SHOPPERS!" he intoned, to the delight of nearly everyone in the room. "Jeez, Walter," said Senator Ewing, obviously flustered. Embarrassed at the unexpected attention, I quickly retreated to the staff area. I did get the shirt, though -- later!
But Walter caught the moment in a funny way that only he could.
by Trochilus