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Thomas M. Menino – the longest-serving mayor in the history of the city of Boston – died today at the age of 71.

Menino was elected to his post back in 1993. He retired earlier this year after overseeing a decades-long urban renewal project that revitalized the appearance and identity of the city in which he was born and raised.

Just two months after stepping down in January of 2014, Menino announced that he was battling an advanced form of cancer that had spread to his liver and lymph nodes.

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Menino’s most notable achievement in recent years may have been serving as a source of strength and guidance for frightened citizens in the wake of the Boston marathon bombing of 2013.

“Bold, big-hearted, and Boston strong, Tom was the embodiment of the city he loved and led for more than two decades,” said President Obama in a statement issued earlier today.

 

“As Boston’s longest-serving mayor, Tom helped mane 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 neighborhood he helped make a safer, better place to live.”

Menino leaves behind his wife Angela, as well as two children and six grandchildren.