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Former NY Gov. Mario Cuomo Dies Hours After Son Andrew Inaugurated For Second Term As Governor of New York

By Cheryl Phillips
Published on: 12:49 PST, Jan 1, 2015

Former New York governor Mario Cuomo died on January 1, just six hours after his son, Andrew Cuomo, was formally sworn in for his second term as governor of New York. The New York Daily News reports that the elder Cuomo was too ill to attend the inauguration ceremony and passed away just hours later.

Mario Cuomo, 82, was reportedly suffering from a serious heart condition. He was hospitalized in November for a heart problem but was released in December. Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke about his father during his inaugural address, stating that his presence was felt in the room.

“He couldn’t be here physically today… but my father is in this room. He’s in the heart and mind of every person who is here. His inspiration and his legacy and his spirit is what has brought this day to this point.”

Sadly, just six hours after Andrew’s speech, the former governor, who once contemplated a run for the presidency, was dead. Yahoo News reports that Mario Cuomo served three terms in office from 1983 to 1994 and retired from politics after George Pataki defeated him in a bid for a fourth term as governor of New York.

After retiring from politics, Mario Cuomo became an author. He wrote two children’s books, The Blue Spruce and Why Lincoln Matters: Today More Than Ever. In addition to the inspirational books he penned for school-aged children, a number of Cuomo’s speeches were collected for the book More Than Words.

Former New York governor Mario Cuomo leaves his wife, Matilda Raffa Cuomo, and five children — Andrew, Maria Cuomo Cole, Margaret, Madeline, and Christopher, who is an anchor at CNN.

[Image: Evan Agostini via NY Daily News]

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