LACKAWANNA COUNTY — According to the Scranton Times-Tribune, longtime republican congressman from Lackawanna County Joseph McDade has passed away.
Joe McDade died in Virginia over the weekend.
He was 85 years old, just a few days short of his 86th birthday.
Joseph Michael McDade was born in Scranton on September 29, 1931.
After graduating from Scranton Prep, and the University of Notre Dame, Mcdade returned to Lackawanna County as an attorney.
He was the Scranton city solicitor when he ran for Congress in 1962.
For 36 years, the republican represented the 10th congressional district, winning praise and admiration from his constituents for bringing home federal dollars for projects in his district.
McDade served just one more term in Congress.
One of his final votes was a yes on the first article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton in 1998.
When he retired from Congress after 18 terms, Joe McDade was the most senior republican in the House of Representatives.
In 2006 he was on hand when the new terminal at Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport was named after him, one more tribute to the long-time public servant.