Joseph Teasdale Dead: Former Missouri Governor Dies At 78

Gov. 'Walkin' Joe' Teasdale Dies
Missouri Gov. Joseph P. Teasdale, left, meets with President Jimmy Carter, April 1, 1977 in the Oval Office in Washington under the portrait of George Washington. (AP Photo/Peter Bregg)
Missouri Gov. Joseph P. Teasdale, left, meets with President Jimmy Carter, April 1, 1977 in the Oval Office in Washington under the portrait of George Washington. (AP Photo/Peter Bregg)

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 8 (Reuters) - Joseph Teasdale, a former Missouri governor who got the nickname "Walkin' Joe" because he campaigned on foot across the state, died on Thursday, according to Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon.

Teasdale, 78, a Democrat From Kansas City, was elected in 1976 and served one term. He was a former Jackson County prosecutor who defeated incumbent Christopher Bond for governor and then lost his bid for re-election to Bond in 1980.

"Gov. Teasdale was a good man whose life was guided by a deep and abiding faith and a commitment to public service," Nixon said in a statement.

Teasdale returned to Kansas City after his re-election defeat and practiced law. He died from complications of pneumonia, according to the Kansas City Star, citing family members. (Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Paul Tait)

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