Massachusetts lost one of its greatest-ever public servants recently with the passing of Francis X. Bellotti, a former Lieutenant Governor and three-time Attorney General, at the age of 101.
Frank, as he was known to everyone, was a brilliant politician and lawyer who dedicated his life to serving the people of the Commonwealth.
His tenure as Mass. AG from 1975-87 is widely regarded as the national model for the modern office of the state attorney general. He brought the AG’s office into the forefront on issues such as civil rights and consumer protection in the 1970s, achievements for which he was recognized by the National Association of Attorneys General as the most outstanding attorney general in the United States in 1981.
There are three things that younger readers should know about Frank Bellotti. The first is that he was a man of great humility and integrity. He was just a straightforward, regular guy.
Second, he always stayed in great shape, which helps explain why he lived to be 101. He was a fierce competitor in handball and worked out every day.
The third is that he is just about the last from the Greatest Generation of politicians who served our state so well. Frank served with distinction in WWII in Europe as the commander of a troop of 58 men and was a contemporary of notable politicians such as John F. Kennedy and locally, Andrew P. Quigley.
We know we join with many of our fellow long-time residents in mourning his passing and in extending our condolences to his large family, which includes 11 surviving children, 25 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.