Former R.I. Gov. Joe Garrahy dies at 81

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Former Rhode Island Gov. J. Joseph Garrahy, who will always be remembered for steering the state through the Blizzard of '78, has died at the age of 81, his family said Wednesday.

"He loved his family dearly and we were so proud to call him our husband, father and Poppy," the Garrahy family said in a statement. "He also loved the people of Rhode Island and worked tirelessly to improve the state and to provide assistance to those in need."

Garrahy died late Tuesday night in Florida, said Michael Ryan, a close friend of the former governor's who is now National Grid's Rhode Island president. Ryan declined to reveal the cause of death out of respect for Garrahy's family. "He had not been feeling well for a few days," Ryan said.

"We thank Rhode Islanders for their continued outpouring of fondness over the years," the family said. "He was very grateful for their warmth and friendship and for the opportunity to serve them. Your prayers are greatly appreciated at this time."

• Related: Read statements remembering Garrahy
• Photo Gallery: J. Joseph Garrahy, 1930-2012

Garrahy, a Democrat, was governor from 1977 to 1985. Gov. Lincoln Chafee said he was "shocked and saddened" to learn of the passing of his predecessor, whom Chafee described as "a true gentleman, down-to-earth and lacking any pretense."

"Governor Garrahy had a gift for making progress quickly while managing to make as few waves as possible in the process," Chafee said in a statement. "He was unassuming, but he delivered results." The governor ordered all U.S. and Rhode Island flags in the state lowered to half-staff until Garrahy is laid to rest.

"Joe Garrahy combined courageous leadership, unimpeachable decency and a warm and embracing spirit," U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said in a statement. "His example sustained us and inspired us, and it will continue to do so."

Former R.I. Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty told WPRI.com he spoke last week with Garrahy, who was in Florida. "He sounded good," Fogarty said, later adding that he was "stunned and saddened" by the death of his mentor.

A funeral for Garrahy will be held Tuesday at the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul in Providence. Visiting hours will be Monday from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Garrahy was born in Providence on Nov. 26, 1930, to Irish immigrants who lived on Smith Hill. He attended the University of Buffalo and the University of Rhode Island and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.

Garrahy first won public office in 1962, when he was elected to the Rhode Island Senate, where he served as Deputy Majority Leader in 1967 and 1968.

Garrahy won the lieutenant governor's office in 1968 and held that job until 1976, when he defeated Republican Cranston Mayor James Taft to win the governor's office. He was reelected easily three times. Garrahy worked as a business consultant in the years after he left office.

Retired Providence Journal columnist M. Charles Bakst told WPRI.com that Garrahy was "a thoroughly decent guy - not a mean bone in his body. A folk hero."

"He was down to earth," WPRI 12 political analyst Joe Fleming said Wednesday. "People could relate to him. ... People felt at ease knowing he was at the helm. He really exhibited a lot of confidence. He was very well-respected, very well-liked - it was very seldom you'd hear people say a bad thing about Joe Garrahy."

Garrahy's name graces several landmarks in the state, including the judicial complex in downtown Providence. More than one official recalled him Wednesday as "a great statesman."

Former State Police Col. Brendan Doherty, who is running for Congress as a Republican, said he saw Garrahy in Florida last week, "and as usual, the best advice he gave me was not about politics, but the importance of family, values and humanity."

Bakst recalled going out to eat with Garrahy in the years after he left office and seeing residents warmly greet the former governor. "So your role in life is being Joe Garrahy?" Bakst once remarked to him. "He chuckled and said, 'Yeah, and it's pretty good.'"

Garrahy and his wife, Margherite, had five children and raised them in Narragansett. Garrahy's death comes the same week as the passing of William "Bill" Dugan Jr., his chief of staff and close friend, who died Monday in North Providence at the age of 80.

Garrahy's death leaves five living governors of Rhode Island: Philip Noel, who served from 1973 to 1977; Edward DiPrete (1985 to 1991); Lincoln Almond (1995 to 2003); Donald Carcieri (2003 to 2011); and Lincoln Chafee, who took office last year.

Ted Nesi ( tnesi@wpri.com ) covers politics and the economy for WPRI.com and writes the Nesi's Notes blog. Follow him on Twitter: @tednesi