Officials mourn the loss of Rensselaer Mayor Dan Dwyer
Dwyer passed away early Tuesday morning at the age of 84
RENSSELAER, N.Y. >> The city and surrounding communities are mourning the loss of Rensselaer Mayor Daniel Dwyer, who passed away early Tuesday morning after a long battle with cancer.
Dwyer, a Democrat, was elected mayor in 2005 and became the 32nd mayor of the city.
Dwyer, 84, a Korean War veteran, served the city of Rensselaer proudly for several years, starting in 1963 as a member of the Civil Service Commission, from 2002 to 2005 as chair of the Zoning Commission before his 2005 election as mayor.
“This is an extremely sad day for the city,” said Charles Moore, the city’s Director of Planning. “I’m here to represent that all departments are working together, there will be no disruption to city services, he’s got a great team in place… all of the projects the mayor set in place are still moving and they will continue to move…. This momen- tum the mayor created is going to continue and Rich Mooney, as our [new] leader, is going to keep us going and we just have to get through this sad, sad time.”
According to the City Charter, the Common Council President becomes the next mayor, if the mayor passes away or is unable to continue to serve. Mooney, who sworn-in as mayor around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday after serving as the Common Council President.
“With Dan, it was never a Democrat, Republican, it was never a political party, it was what was best for the city of Rensselaer,” said Mooney. “[He] was all about the city of Rensselaer, that was the mayor’s heart, the mayor’s love. I always kid, he had two loves, one love was his family and the second love was the city of Rensselaer and sometimes I think the city of Rensselaer was a little higher with the mayor.”
City officials noted that under Dwyer’s leadership and with his earlier career as a pilot for Pan American Airways, his management of the city lifted its spir- its and chartered a new route for long-term success. Rensselaer moved its City Hall and City Court to the former Fort Crailo School, built the new North End firehouse, a new police station, and renovated a former drug store into the new Rensselaer Library – all driven by Mayor Dwyer’s vision. Mayor Dwyer and the Common Council also worked diligently to stabilize the city’s financial situation upon entering office, now achieving an Aplus bond rating.
“When the mayor took over 13 years ago, we were a struggling city, he pulled us out of the struggling city and got us to where we are now,” said Mooney, who has been working alongside the mayor for past 13 years.
“He was an inspiration to all of us, a father figure, a mentor and he lived just the perfect life and we all looked up to him,” added Moore.
Other elected officials also shared their thoughts on Dwyer throughout the day Tuesday.
“He wasn’t flashy, but he was truly a dedicated public servant,” said Assemblyman John McDonald III.
“I’ve had the privilege to work with Mayor Dwyer for many years, and while we always didn’t see eye to eye, we were always able to find some common ground on issues important to Rensselaer. We worked together to try to utilize shared service agreements between the city and the county to help assist in the city’s governmental operations. Dan worked hard to improve Rensselaer and I appreciate his investments in the city’s infrastructure. The residents of Rensselaer are grateful to Dan for not only to his service to our city, but also for his service in the US Air Force. I join everyone in Rensselaer in ex-
tending my condolences to Dan’s family, friends, and colleagues in city government,” added Chairman of the Rensselaer County Legislature Mike Stammel, RRensselaer.
Troy Mayor Patrick Madden and Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin also shared their thoughts and the accomplishments of Dwyer’s tenure.
“We are saddened to learn of the death of Mayor Daniel Dwyer, dedicated public servant, veteran and longtime champion of the City of Rensselaer. During his time at City Hall, Mayor Dwyer made great progress in restoring his community’s financial standing and laid the groundwork for continued growth and development in his hometown along the Hudson River. The City of Rensselaer is a stronger place because of his leadership and vision. On behalf of the City of Troy, we extend our condolences to the Dwyer family and the City of Rensselaer during this challenging time,” said Madden in a statement.
“Dan Dwyer was long active in civic affairs in Rensselaer, dating back decades, and worked to improve quality of life for those living in the city. He was also a veteran of the Korean War, and served his country with honor and skill,” said McLaughlin in a statement .” There are a number of economic development and revitalization projects ongoing in the city that will serve as a legacy to Dan Dwyer and his years of work in Rensselaer.”
Dwyer is predeceased by his wife of 51 years, Kathleen, and is survived by their two children and five grandchildren. City officials said that as of Tuesday afternoon, no funeral arrangement had been made yet.