CLEVELAND, June 29 — Paul T. “Pat” Kerrigan, former BLET Vice President and National Legislative Representative (VP & NLR), passed away at Mercy Hospital in Scranton, Pa., on June 24, 2009. He was 82 years old.
A former BLE Special Representative, Brother Kerrigan was promoted to the office of VP & NLR in July of 1985 following the retirement of VP & NLR Ed McCulloch. He was elected to fill that vacancy by a majority vote of the Advisory Board.
Brother Kerrigan was elected fifth alternate vice president at the BLE’s Third Quinquennial Convention in 1981. Prior to the retirement of Brother McCulloch, Kerrigan progressed to his seat on the Advisory Board following the retirements of Vice Presidents R.B. Curtis, C.M. Moore and W.A. Hirst, and the death of Vice President E.E. Blakeslee.
He was born in Scranton, Pa., on December 26, 1926, to the late Patrick and Gertrude Devers Kerrigan. His father, Patrick Kerrigan, was a Delaware, Lackawanna & Western switchman and yardmaster.
Paul Kerrigan went railroading in 1948, when he hired out with the DL&W in the clerical department. Prior to the start of his railroad career, Kerrigan was in the U.S. Army, where he served in the European Theater from 1943 to 1946. He attended the University of Scranton after the war.
In 1955, he transferred to the DL&W Motive Power Department as a fireman. He earned promotion to Locomotive Engineer in 1960 and was initiated into Division 276 (Allentown, Pa.) on August 10, 1964.
After serving as local Chairman of Division 276, he was elected General Chairman of the DL&W and held that position until the 1968 combination of the Erie and the DL&W general committees of adjustment. He served as a BLE special representative from 1969 until promotion to the Advisory Board in 1985. He retired from his service to the BLE on June 29, 1986.
He is survived by his wife, Marie. The couple had celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on February 6, 2009. Also surviving are two sons, Paul B. and wife, Sarah; and Thomas P.; two grandchildren, Olivia and Graham Kerrigan; two sisters, Joan Quinlan, Scranton; and Ann O’Connor, Dallas, Texas; nieces, nephews and cousins.
“Integrity and character the two words I would use to describe Brother Kerrigan,” said BLET National President Ed Rodzwicz. “He was extremely dedicated to the organization, which he served faithfully for more than two decades. On behalf of the BLET, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his wife, Marie, and the entire Kerrigan family.”