Former State Rep. Tom Corrigan Passes Away

State Rep. Tom Corrigan Sr.
Credit: PA House Archives

Local politicos are remembering the life of retired State Rep. Tom C. Corrigan Sr.

The Bristol Borough-born and -raised Corrigan passed away recently at the age of 84.

Corrigan, a Democrat, was a state representative in the 140th Legislative District from 1987 to 2006. Corrigan served nine consecutive terms in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

John Cordisco, who served as the state representative in the 140th Legislative District prior to Corrigan and previously served as the head of the Bucks County Democratic Committee, recalled the late state lawmaker positively.

“Tom was a very dedicated public servant. He was very instrumental in helping me get elected to the Bristol Borough school board as well as the PA House of Representatives to which me and my family are very grateful,” Cordisco said.

State Rep. John Galloway, the Democrat who currently holds the seat once occupied by Corrigan, spoke highly of his friend.

“Tom Corrigan was a good family man, an effective legislator and a loyal friend,” Galloway said. “He was Bristol through and through. He will be missed.”

Bristol Borough Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe said Corrigan was a major help to the borough and worked on getting grant funding for several major projects, including the renovation of Borough Hall and restoration of the lagoon.

“Without him, who knows where we would have been,” DiGuiseppe said at Monday evening’s council meeting.

Bristol Borough Councilperson Louis Quattrocchi praised Corrigan for being willing to work with Democrats and Republicans to get things done. He also praised him for supporting the cultural monuments along the Delaware River in the borough.

When he announced in 2005 that he was retiring from public office, Corrigan said he wished to travel more and spent more time with family, according to a Bucks County Courier Times article from the time.

Before becoming a state lawmaker, Corrigan worked in real estate, was a rigger for U.S. Steel, and served as a member of Bristol Borough Council. He also served in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and was a volunteer with the Bristol Consolidated Fire Company.