SCRANTON -- Former Congressman Joseph McDade passed away Sunday at the age of 85.
McDade represented the tenth district in our area, from 1963 until 1999, serving 18 terms in office.
He left an indelible mark on northeastern and central PA.
As the long-time president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, Austin Burke worked closely with Joe McDade for many years.
He considered him a good friend, who brought so much home to the district he represented.
"I'm saddened. It's a part of history that's gone," said Burke. "There's Steamtown, Montage, the Scranton Enterprise Center, he put money into that," he continued.
Congressman McDade's legacy will live on in his home region long after his passing.
The Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton was maybe his most famous passion.
The new terminal at Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport is named after him, a testament to his support for a project that was not completed until years after he left office.
Austin Burke also credits McDade with helping to save the Tobyhanna Army Depot more than 20 years ago, when the base realignment commission had its sights set on possibly closing the facility.
"There's probably 5,000 people still in good jobs in Tobyhanna because of the work he did," Burke told Newswatch 16.
Joe McDade would've turned 86 this Friday.