Former Lieutenant Governor of New York and past chairman of the MTA Richard Ravitch passed away over the weekend at the age of 89.
According to the New York Times, Ravitch passed on June 23 in the hospital. His death was confirmed by his wife, Kathleen M. Doyle.
“Dick Ravitch was a titan of New York’s civic world who left an indelible mark on our State, and he will be greatly missed. From steering the MTA through a critical time to serving as Lieutenant Governor, he was a steady, savvy, and brilliant leader and a public servant in the truest sense of the term,” said Governor Kathy Hochul in a statement. “As Governor, I greatly appreciated Dick’s wisdom and thoughtful advice, and I know all New Yorkers have benefited from his contributions. I join his wife Kathy, his loved ones, friends, and all New Yorkers who knew him in mourning his passing and remembering his tremendous achievements.”
A Manhattanite, Ravitch’s tenure in the public space started when he was appointed to the United States Commission on Urban Problems in 1966 by then-President Lyndon Johnson, and was later elected president of the Citizens Housing and Planning Council (CHPC) in 1968. In 1975, New York Governor Hugh Carey appointed Ravitch as the chairman of the New York State Urban Development Corporation, where Ravitch took on organizing the finances of the corporation.
