Former Rep. Maurice Hinchey dead at 79

Posted 11/29/17

SAUGERTIES, NY — Former U.S. Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey, left, passed away on November 22, 2017 after a lengthy illness. He was 79. Hinchey, a Democrat, and former Rep. Benjamin Gilman, a …

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Former Rep. Maurice Hinchey dead at 79

Posted

SAUGERTIES, NY — Former U.S. Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey, left, passed away on November 22, 2017 after a lengthy illness. He was 79. Hinchey, a Democrat, and former Rep. Benjamin Gilman, a Republican, between them served 50 years in Congress. Together, they represented Sullivan County in Congress, either in the whole or in shared parts, for three decades from 1983 to January of 2013.

In 2002, the Democrat, Hinchey, was in a four-man race for a newly re-districted 22nd District congressional seat, which he won handily. Meanwhile, Gilman’s old 20th Congressional District was the primary victim of gerrymandering of district lines prompted by New York’s loss of two House seats following the 2000 census. The most senior member of U.S. House was then preparing to retire in the coming January at the end of his term. Gilman died on December 17, 2016 at 94 years of age.

Known as “Mo” to friends and acquaintances, Hinchey worked his way through SUNY New Paltz as a toll collector on the New York State Thruway. Hinchey was “regular guy congressman who frequently showed up quietly at constituent events here, driving his own car,” an acquaintance recalled.

Completing 38 years in government service in 2013, Hinchey retired to private life at home in Saugerties. He is survived by his wife Ilene Marder; their daughter, Michelle; and two sons from his first marriage, Reese and Josef.

A Mass of Christian Burial was to be offered at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 915 Rte. 212, Saugerties, starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 29.

saugerties, maurice hinchy

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