Former U.S. Representative William Delahunt, a Democrat and lifelong Quincy resident, passed away this past Saturday, March 30th. He was a longtime member of our Ward 6 Democratic Committee and was our 2010 Dennis F. Ryan Community Award recipient. Rep. Delahunt started his 4 decades in elected office as a Quincy city councilor in 1972 and then as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1973 for a term. Starting in 1975 he served as Norfolk County District Attorney for 21 years and subsequently in the U.S. House of Representatives for Massachusetts for 14 years

A statement from his family reads:

"While we mourn the loss of such a tremendous person, we also celebrate his remarkable life and his legacy of dedication, service, and inspiration. We could always turn to him for wisdom, solace and a laugh, and his absence leaves a gaping hole in our family and our hearts."

The QDCC citywide chair Alicia Gardner remembers decades of friendship with Rep. Delahunt. “Bill was a personal friend of mine and my family since I was a kid we lived on the same street for many years. I will miss him.”

Rep. Delahunt dedicated his life to community service. The city of Quincy, Norfolk County, and the Massachusetts commonwealth are richer for his work. Of his many accomplishments, as Norfolk County District Attorney he created the country's first ever domestic violence prevention unit. As his longtime colleague Senator Ed Markey stated, “[i]t is a fitting honor that the door of the William D. Delahunt Norfolk County Courthouse opens every day so that the people inside can do the hard work of making lives better, as Bill Delahunt did.”

Funeral services will take place in on Friday and Saturday, with his wake in Quincy on Friday, April 5, from 2 to 7 p.m at United First Parish Church on Hancock Street. His funeral will follow on Saturday, April 6, at 11 a.m. at Saint Gregory Parish on Dorchester Avenue in Dorchester.