Leo McCarthy passed away today. He was Lt. Gov. of California in the 1980s.
I went to college with his daughter, later she and I worked on the Dukakis campaign together. And during that time I had the honor of meeting Leo McCarthy.
I tend to judge people based on small things, not great ones. Leo was a man of great character, I think. He was not one to force himself into the limelight.
How do I know? During the Dukakis campaign in 1988, Leo attended a rally. I came with a friend who, unbeknownst to me, sometimes had panic attacks when in large crowds.
I was busy doing whatever I volunteered to do, and my back was to my friend. Lt. Governor McCarthy noticed my friend was not looking well.
Without fanfare, without making a big noise about his good deed, he simply guided her out of the crowd to a place where she could feel more comfortable. He didn't have an aide do it, he did it himself.
He did this without the media even noticing.
He was pleasant and wonderful to talk with, I only met him the one time, but I am glad he passed through my life for he added a positiveness to it which I never forgot.
His passing is a loss to us all.
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