Leo T. McCarthy

—In Memorial—

CANHR mourns the loss of former Lt. Governor Leo McCarthy, who died in San Francisco on February 5, 2007. A beloved and treasured San Francisco resident, Leo McCarthy gave true meaning to the words "public servant." As a legislator, Assembly Speaker and a three–term Lieutenant Governor, his work formed the basis for more positive changes in the laws affecting the lives of California’s elders and disabled than at any time in the history of California.

As Lt. Governor, Leo McCarthy opened his doors and used his office to develop and coordinate the successful passage of the Nursing Home Patients’ Protection Act of 1985, the most comprehensive nursing home reform package to date. Many of the laws we take for granted today can be directly attributed to the work of Leo McCarthy.

Leo McCarthy leaves a vast legacy in his family, his work, and the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and Common Good at the University of San Francisco. He has also left California a better place because he lived here and cared so much for its citizens.