Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch died early Friday. He was 88 years old.
Koch, who had been in and out of the hospital in recent months, passed away at 2 a.m. of heart failure. His funeral is scheduled for Monday.
The Bronx native served three terms in the United States House of Representatives (1969 to 1977), three terms as mayor of New York City (1978 to 1989), and as a judge on the popular TV show The People's Court from 1997 to 1999.
Koch had high praise for Malverne and its mayor, Patricia Norris McDonald, when he visited the village in April 2011. As a long-time friend of McDonald, Koch administered the oath of office to her (and Trustee Michael Bailey) at Village Hall as she was sworn in for her second term.
"I believe public service is the noblest of professions when it's done honestly and done well," Koch stated during the inauguration ceremony.
He described his three years as mayor as the high point of his career and told Patch, "There is no greater satisfaction for someone who is in public service to serve as mayor, because you are perceived quite correctly by the public as an extension of the public, their right arm to protect them and serve them."
McDonald said, "Mayor Koch exemplified being able to work with people on both sides -- Republican and Democrat -- and I aspire to be as good as he was."
Koch also humorously summed up the village of Malverne during his visit, saying, "It's one square mile, and everyone knows everyone's business."
Reflecting on the loss of Koch, Sen. Dean Skelos said "New York has lost one of its true larger-than-life political leaders. He had a passion for public service, and an outsized personality to match. As a Congressman, Mayor and political commentator, Ed Koch brought enthusiasm to everything he did, and he never stopped fighting for the causes he believed in."
Skelos added, "All those who knew or worked with Ed Koch, or were fortunate enough to meet him, understand today that he'll be sorely missed by the people of New York."
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