NEWBURGH – Sunday was a sad day for the Hudson Valley as two government leaders died. Newburgh Mayor Judy Kennedy and Assemblyman Frank Skartados both died this morning.
Kennedy, who was 73, had battled ovarian cancer for two years. Skartados, who was 62, died of pancreatic cancer, which was discovered just this past January.
Newburgh City Manager Michael Ciaravino worked closely with each of them and said they have one thing in common – they were both consensus builders.
”They always believed in finding and establishing common ground with all the many issues that have helped shape and sometimes divide the community, and yet they were able to bring the community together,” Ciaravino said.
Kennedy fought the disease until the very end, holding meetings with city officials while in her hospice bed, doling out assignments to fellow council members who came to see her.
A savvy businesswoman, Kennedy brought her skills to city government and is credited with being a driving force in the renaissance of Newburgh.
Skartados came to the United States from his native Greece at age 14 and later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
His assembly district included the cities of Newburgh, Beacon and Poughkeepsie.
Among his credit was securing $6 million to complete construction of the Walkway over the Hudson.
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