Advertisement Tom Menino, Boston's longest-serving mayor, dies at 71 Menino dies after lengthy battle with cancer Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Boston's longest-serving mayor, Thomas M. Menino, 71, died Thursday of cancer."At just after 9 a.m. this morning the Honorable Thomas M. Menino passed into eternal rest after a courageous batter with cancer. He was surrounded by his devoted wife, Angela, loving family and friends," his office said in a statement. Menino, who retired from office this year after saying he no longer had the stamina to be mayor the "Menino way," was elected mayor of one of the nation’s most distinctive and historic cities five consecutive times and was elected city councilor five times before that. Photos: Tom Menino through the yearsA lifelong Hyde Park resident born in the midst of World War II, Menino was the city’s first Italian-American mayor, taking over the reins of city government as acting mayor in 1993 when then Mayor Raymond Flynn was appointed ambassador to the Vatican. Having served nine years as a city councilor, Menino handily won the 1994 election the following year and never faced a truly strong challenger after that.Share your Menino stories, memoriesIn decades of public service, the affable Menino earned the nickname “The Urban Mechanic” for his commitment to revitalizing Boston and fixing neighborhood problems from potholes to street lights.He was a ubiquitous presence at events, dedications and meetings in the city's neighborhoods. Polls indicated that more than half of Boston's residents had actually met him in person.Video: Remembering Boston's MayorUnder his administration, Boston saw the completion of the Central Artery “Big Dig” project, construction of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and revitalization of the Seaport District along Boston’s harbor. A traditional Democrat in one of the nation’s bluest states, Menino adhered to the New Deal philosophy that government’s purpose is to serve the people, and approval ratings showed his constituents embraced both the mayor and his approach, giving him a 72 percent approval rating in one 2008 survey.In 2004, Menino brought the Democratic National Convention to the city for the first time, generating $150 million in revenue for the Hub. He was also an early advocate of same-sex marriage and had an innovate record on environmental issues.Boston was named one of the greenest cities in the nation with its first-of-its-kind green building code and the hundreds of acres of new parks and miles of new bike paths created under his watch.Menino’s political longevity was attributed by some to his abiding awareness of what he thought was most important in a public servant.“It’s because he’s never lost sight of what matters ... people and neighborhoods,” said City Councilor Maureen Feeney after Menino was re-elected a fifth time. “Everything springs from that.”He hinged his administration’s goals on achieving clean, safe, livable neighborhoods, improving inner city education and providing more affordable housing.His actions spoke more clearly than his speech. He was known and often ridiculed for malapropisms and speech errors, giving him the unwelcome nickname of "Mumbles Menino." Health issues plagued Menino during his time in office.He underwent surgery in 2003 to remove a rare sarcoma on his back and the next year was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. He discovered in early 2012 that he was suffering from a broken toe and did not know it. Later that year he fell gravely ill while on an anniversary vacation with his wife in Italy.Months after leaving office he was diagnosed with an advanced cancer that had spread to his liver. "What I don’t want is people feeling sorry for me. I don’t want sympathy. There are people worse off than me," he said after getting the diagnosis.Menino continued his work at Boston University and began a book tour in October 2014, but by the end of that month he announced he was suspending his treatment for cancer and the book tour."I am hopeful and optimistic that one day the talented researchers, doctors and medical professionals in this city will find a cure for this awful disease," he said.Menino is survived by his wife, the former Angela Faletra, two children, Susan and Thomas Jr.; and six grandchildren.