City flags at half-staff in honor of former Mayor John A. Markey who passes away at 89-years-old

“Former Mayor John A. Markey passed away Sunday at 89. Mayor Jon Mitchell has ordered flags at City facilities be flown at half-staff in his honor. Mayor Mitchell’s statement on Mayor Markey’s passing:

“I was saddened to learn of the passing of former Mayor John A. Markey, whose legacy is evident across New Bedford today. Mayor Markey was first elected in 1971, winning a three-way race between incumbent George Rogers and former Mayor Edmund Harrington.

The history of the City would show that Jack Markey was the right leader at the right time. Arriving in office in the wake of riots and strikes that rocked the City, and a time when America’s democratic institutions were losing credibility, Mayor Markey restored trust in municipal government and stability to the City. His tenure in office would come to define New Bedford in the 1970s, one marked by an unfailing integrity and clarity of purpose.

Despite the headwinds of a contracting manufacturing economy, he maintained the City’s focus on the long term, and hired a capable team of public servants to carry out the work. His tenure was replete with investments that make up much of the bulwark of the City today, nearly 50 years later: The construction of New Bedford High School and GNB Voc-Tech, four new elementary schools, a modern drinking water plant, and numerous major housing and road projects. But his signature achievement was the establishment of the Historic District and the restoration of its cobblestoned streets.

In 1977, the City was allotted $13 million from the then new Community Development Block Grant program, and despite calls to spend the windfall on various immediate needs, Markey was convinced that an investment to help bring the City’s storied past to life would pay off in the long run. No one today doubts that his decision was the right one. Thanks to Mayor Markey’s clear understanding of the City’s core interests and the courage to advance them, the Historic District is today the most photographed part of the City, and an enduring source of pride for our residents.

Mayor Markey prevailed in six mayoral elections, leaving office in 1982 as the longest continuously serving mayor in the City’s history. In his second act in public service, he served as the presiding judge of the New Bedford District Court until his retirement, where he was known for his fairness, his incisive analysis of the law, and his commitment to justice for all. In 2014, the City officially named the plaza along what is arguably the City’s most central intersection and the gateway to the Historic District “Jack Markey Plaza” in honor of his long and distinguished service to New Bedford.

Mayor Markey left New Bedford a stronger, more confident City for his efforts. His accomplishments are many, but he will be remembered most by those who knew him as a thoroughly loyal, honest and humble man, committed unwaveringly to his family, his City and his Faith. I will be forever grateful for his support and encouragement, especially at the beginning of my tenure. Ann and I offer our condolences and prayers to his wife Carol, his children, John, Carol Ann, Chris and Jennifer, his grandchildren, and his many friends. I have ordered the flags at City facilities to be flown at half-staff in his honor.”-Jon Mitchell.