(NationRise.com) – Former Maine Democratic Representative and Governor Joseph Brennan died on April 5 at his house in Portland at the age of 89. According to The Associated Press, his best friend Frank O’Hara said that Brennan’s wife, Connie LaPointe, was at his side at the moment he died in Munjoy Hill, a couple of meters away from the neighborhood where his parents raised him.
O’Hara also told the news agency that Brennan’s parents came from Ireland and that the former governor and all of his siblings grew up in a working-class area. He added that Brennan once told him that growing up in that neighborhood allowed him to learn several aspects of life that eventually influenced his political career, which started when he was just 29.
In a conversation with AP, former Maine Governor Joe Baldacci expressed his deep respect for Brennan, whom he considered one of his most influential mentors, a cherished friend, and a “dedicated servant.” Baldacci lauded Brennan’s unwavering integrity, which guided the state through some of its most trying times in recent history.
Meanwhile, the state’s current Democratic Governor, Janet Mills, said she will never forget Brennan’s great work for the communities and the way he played such a significant role in her political career. She said he appointed her to serve as the first female attorney in Maine’s history back in 1980, which was not only a historic moment but also a political move that eventually allowed her to become the state’s first female governor.
Before starting his political career, Brenna served in the United States Army before graduating as a lawyer at the University of Maine Law School. He served his state not only as a governor and a congressman but also as an attorney general and district attorney. His period as a governor started in 1979 and finished in 1987.
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