Obama: Tom Menino Was 'Bold, Big-Hearted, And Boston Strong'

Obama: Tom Menino Was 'Bold, Big-Hearted, And Boston Strong'
BOSTON - OCTOBER 30: U.S. President Barack Obama received a Boston Red Sox hat from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino while Governor Deval Patrick greeted Rep. John Tierney after he exited Air Force One after landing at Boston Logan Airport on his way to Faneuil Hall to bolster support for his national health care law in Boston, Mass. on Wednesday, October 30, 2013. (Photo by Yoon S. Byun/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON - OCTOBER 30: U.S. President Barack Obama received a Boston Red Sox hat from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino while Governor Deval Patrick greeted Rep. John Tierney after he exited Air Force One after landing at Boston Logan Airport on his way to Faneuil Hall to bolster support for his national health care law in Boston, Mass. on Wednesday, October 30, 2013. (Photo by Yoon S. Byun/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

President Barack Obama issued a statement Thursday on the death of former Boston Mayor Tom Menino, praising the longtime mayor's commitment to revitalizing his city.

"Bold, big-hearted, and Boston strong, Tom was the embodiment of the city he loved and led for more than two decades," Obama wrote.

Menino, who served as mayor from 1993 to 2014, died Thursday at the age of 71. He was diagnosed with advanced cancer earlier this year, shortly after he left City Hall.

Read Obama's full statement below:

Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Tom Menino. Bold, big-hearted, and Boston strong, Tom was the embodiment of the city he loved and led for more than two decades. As Boston's longest-serving mayor, Tom helped make his hometown the vibrant, welcoming, world-class place it is today. His legacy lives on in every neighborhood he helped revitalize, every school he helped turn around, and every community he helped make a safer, better place to live. I had a chance to speak with Tom’s wife, Angela, yesterday, and today our thoughts and prayers are with her, with the entire Menino family, and with the people of Boston who Tom loved so much, and who loved him in return.

Before You Go

Notable People We've Lost In 2014

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot