John Lavelle
Encyclopedia
John W. Lavelle formerly represented the 61st Assembly District in the New York State Assembly
, which comprises much of the North Shore
of Staten Island.
Lavelle, a former executive with Met Life
, was a champion for the poor and less fortunate. He served as a member of the New York State Charter Commission for Staten Island
in 1993, and became Staten Island
Democratic Party
Chairman in 1999. He was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2000, filling the seat formerly occupied by Assemblywoman Betty Connelly. He served on a number of committees, including Government Employees, Social Services, Veterans Affairs and Mental Health, among others. Assemblyman Lavelle was known for sponsoring bills calling for the same benefits of those who died in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing as those who died in the 2001 attack and for being an advocate for stronger gun control laws.
In addition, Lavelle spent over 20 years working for quality health care by serving on the Community Advisory Board for the Sisters of Charity Health Care System at St. Vincent's Medical Center. He started a monthly recreation program for patients at Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home and served as Chairman of the Center's Advisory Board. He has also helped substance abusers get their lives back on track by serving as vice chair of the Camelot Counseling Center's Board of Directors.
Lavelle suffered a stroke on January 19, 2007 and died in a coma on January 24, just two days short of his 58th birthday. Mr. Lavelle is survived by his three sons, John, Christopher and Daniel and four grandchildren, Julia, Jacob, Zachary, and Emily Lavelle.
To honor his passing and to allow members of the New York State Assembly to attend his funeral, Speaker of the New York State Assembly Sheldon Silver
canceled the session of the Assembly for January 28, 2007. It is believed this is the first time a session has been canceled for this reason.
The funeral service was attended by over 1,000 people and included the Governor of the State of New York Eliot Spitzer
, New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
, candidates for New York State Comptroller, over 50 Assemblymembers, and all the elected officials from Staten Island from both political parties. That evening upon returning to Washington from the funeral, Congressman Vito Fossella
spoke on the floor of the United States House of Representatives about the passing of John Lavelle.
His seat was filled by special election, with fellow Democrat Matthew Titone
elected to succeed him in the Assembly.
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
, which comprises much of the North Shore
North Shore, Staten Island
The term North Shore is frequently applied to a series of neighborhoods within New York City's borough of Staten Island, USA.- Boundaries :...
of Staten Island.
Lavelle, a former executive with Met Life
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
MetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, or MetLife, for short, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs, with 90 million customers in over 60 countries...
, was a champion for the poor and less fortunate. He served as a member of the New York State Charter Commission for Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
in 1993, and became Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Chairman in 1999. He was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2000, filling the seat formerly occupied by Assemblywoman Betty Connelly. He served on a number of committees, including Government Employees, Social Services, Veterans Affairs and Mental Health, among others. Assemblyman Lavelle was known for sponsoring bills calling for the same benefits of those who died in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing as those who died in the 2001 attack and for being an advocate for stronger gun control laws.
In addition, Lavelle spent over 20 years working for quality health care by serving on the Community Advisory Board for the Sisters of Charity Health Care System at St. Vincent's Medical Center. He started a monthly recreation program for patients at Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home and served as Chairman of the Center's Advisory Board. He has also helped substance abusers get their lives back on track by serving as vice chair of the Camelot Counseling Center's Board of Directors.
Lavelle suffered a stroke on January 19, 2007 and died in a coma on January 24, just two days short of his 58th birthday. Mr. Lavelle is survived by his three sons, John, Christopher and Daniel and four grandchildren, Julia, Jacob, Zachary, and Emily Lavelle.
To honor his passing and to allow members of the New York State Assembly to attend his funeral, Speaker of the New York State Assembly Sheldon Silver
Sheldon Silver
Sheldon "Shelly" Silver is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from New York. He has held the office of Speaker of the New York State Assembly since 1994.- Personal life :...
canceled the session of the Assembly for January 28, 2007. It is believed this is the first time a session has been canceled for this reason.
The funeral service was attended by over 1,000 people and included the Governor of the State of New York Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
, New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
, candidates for New York State Comptroller, over 50 Assemblymembers, and all the elected officials from Staten Island from both political parties. That evening upon returning to Washington from the funeral, Congressman Vito Fossella
Vito Fossella
Vito John Fossella, Jr. is a U.S. Republican politician from the state of New York who formerly represented the state's 13th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for six terms, from 1997 to 2009 serving as the lone Republican from New York City. Fossella, a Staten Island...
spoke on the floor of the United States House of Representatives about the passing of John Lavelle.
His seat was filled by special election, with fellow Democrat Matthew Titone
Matthew Titone
Matthew J. Titone is an American politician and lawyer from Staten Island, New York. A Democrat, he serves as a member of the New York State Assembly from the 61st District, on Staten Island's North Shore.-Early life, education, career:...
elected to succeed him in the Assembly.