Jill and I were saddened to hear of the passing of our good friend, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Tommy was our friend for a long, long time, and he was without a doubt one of the finest Mayors this nation has ever seen. His heart was always as big as the city he loved. And he was, to his core, the very definition of Boston Strong. Unyielding. Absolutely committed.

The poet R. G. Ingersoll could have been describing Tommy when he wrote:

When the will defies fear;

When duty throws the gauntlet down to fate;

When honor scorns compromise with death - - this is heroism!

In the days following the Boston Marathon bombing Tommy was heroic. He was calm in the face of uncertainty, and resolute as the whole world watched.

Even as he should have been in bed, Tommy stood tall, marching through the streets of Boston with a Louisville Slugger for a walking stick. He was determined to protect the people of his city, whether from high profile tragedies like the bombing or the everyday tragedies of gun violence as a leading member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

It was an honor to work with Tommy on the investments that improved Bostons neighborhoods, schools, housing and infrastructure. The Menino Way is evident in every park, every school, and every corner of Boston that emerged safer, cleaner, and stronger than before.

His legacy will live on in the city he loved, and in the example he set for public servants everywhere.

Bostons first Italian-American Mayor earned what my mother always said was the highest compliment we Irish can give: He was a good man.