The patriarch served in the state Senate in the ’60s, as deputy mayor under Mayor Ed Koch in the ’70s and as secretary of state under Gov. Hugh Carey — paving the way for his son.
Basil Paterson, the father of former New York Gov. David Paterson, has died at age 87.
He passed away Wednesday night at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York after an extended illness.
“It’s a painful experience when you lose someone that you’ve known for over 60 years but he had the most integrity, honesty, and clear thinking of any person that I’ve ever met,” Rep. Rangel told the Daily News about the man who remained a close friend up until his death.
“Those of us that knew him are pained today … all we have left now are the memories.”
After serving in the state Senate in the ’60s, Mayor Ed Koch appointed Paterson a deputy mayor in the late ’70s and he later became the secretary of state of New York under Gov. Hugh Carey.
Later in his career he specialized in labor law at Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein in Garden City, Long Island, where he represented Local 1199/SEIU and the United Federation of Teachers.
In 2013, he was appointed by the New York Senate to serve as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
“He was a selfless leader and he dedicated his life to making sure others’ lives were better,” the family said in a statement.
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