Nearly 200 people gathered in the pews of Shadyside Presbyterian Church on Sunday afternoon to remember former Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh.

Mr. Thornburgh died in December 2020 at the age of 88 in Oakmont, yet a public memorial was postponed until now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Pittsburgh native and a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh’s law school, Mr. Thornburgh was an attorney at K&L Gates before he was appointed as the assistant attorney general in the U.S Department of Justice in 1975. In 1978, he won the Pennsylvania governor’s race and served two terms in office. Mr. Thornburgh also headed the U.S. Department of Justice as attorney general from 1988 to 1991 in the George Herbert Walker Bush administration and was under-secretary-general at the United Nations for a year before returning to K&L Gates. 

Among friends, constituents and colleagues at Sunday’s public tribute were three former Pennsylvania governors — Tom Ridge, Mark Schweiker and Tom Corbett — current Gov. Tom Wolf, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

Mr. Thornburgh’s eldest son, John Thornburgh, shared six important life lessons his father believed in. Among the lessons was the importance of persistence and resilience.

“This stick-to-itiveness was especially valuable in government,” John Thornburgh said. “Whether it was negotiating provisions of the Americans with Disability Act, or hammering out the intricate funding of the Three Mile Island cleanup ... we even saw this ethos at home as Dad did the toughest New York Times crossword puzzles or dug into a long, tedious mystery book. Neither was put immediately down until they were fully completed.” 

John Thornburgh also spoke about his father’s passion for people and said that one of his father’s joys in his campaign for office was the opportunity to meet average citizens.

“As governor, he showed a wonderful appreciation for those who played less glamorous, but equally important roles in government,” he said. “He never failed to acknowledge the PennDOT worker, the state trooper or the park employee ... . He was also keenly respectful of Pennsylvania’s leaders, past and present. Starting with William Penn, he admired those who served before him, with him and around him.

“This appreciation surely stems from his credo: Only bad things can happen when good people don’t get involved.”

Dick Thornburgh’s grandson, Richard Thornburgh II, the Rev. Austin Crenshaw Shelley, senior pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian; and the Rev. M. Craig Barnes, president of Princeton Theological Seminary, also spoke Sunday afternoon.

A reception at the church followed the public tribute for attendees to share memories and celebrate the life of Mr. Thornburgh.

Eileen D., of Scott Township, who did not want her surname published, said it was nice to have everyone together after waiting two years for a memorial service. Eileen used to work with one of Mr. Thornburgh’s executive assistants when he was governor and said she was very proud to do the work that they did.

“It was good that way,” she said. “He had the smartest people, the most dedicated and hardworking people working with him.” 

On Saturday, the University of Pittsburgh’s Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy held a conference to celebrate his legacy.

First Published: October 17, 2022, 12:12 a.m.