Mr. James F. Brennan Jr. This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Boston Globe Online / Obituaries / James Brennan, 86; elected mayor of Somerville in 1967

   search.boston.com/dailyglobe2/ - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/30/2002   Last Visited: 7/30/2002

   James Brennan, 86; elected mayor of Somerville in 1967 Boston Globe Online / Obituaries / James Brennan, 86; elected mayor of Somerville in 1967 ,obt,/dailyglobe2/210/obituaries/James Brennan 86 elected mayor of Somerville in 1967+.shtml,/dailyglobe2/210/obituaries/James Brennan 86 elected mayor of Somerville in 1967-.shtml,,Former Somerville mayor James F. Brennan, who once spent several days finding housing for six evicted families and their 35 children, died Saturday. He was 86.,11,,,C,James Brennan, 86; elected mayor of Somerville in 1967,7/29/2002,By Michael S. Rosenwald, Globe Staff,>," name=HideFromBrowserForVerity>
   
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   Related Features Our searchable archives contain obituaries from the past 18 years
   ...
   James Brennan, 86; elected mayor of Somerville in 1967
   
   ...
   ormer Somerville mayor James F. Brennan, who once spent several days finding housing for six evicted families and their 35 children, died Saturday. He was 86.
   
   His family said the cause of death was congestive heart failure.
   
   Mr. Brennan, elected in 1967, was a popular mayor. Newspapers called his primary loss to an Episcopal minister in 1969 a major upset.
   
   He once described the state's takeover of the welfare system as "a nightmare which is still with us."
   
   Mr. Brennan, who was born in Ireland, owned and operated the Brennan Insurance Co. in Union Square for many years and was elected mayor on his fourth try.
   
   Being mayor was not his original idea of civic service.
   
   "When I was 21, I wanted to be a state policeman," he said, "but I flunked the eye examination. That's when I gave up being a cop."
   
   After his term as mayor, Mr. Brennan served as Somerville's city clerk and president of the Chamber of Commerce.
   
   The past two decades, Mr. Brennan and his wife, Ruth, lived in Medford. He enjoyed taking frequent trips to Ireland, reading, and keeping up on politics, particularly what was going on in Somerville.
   
   Several years after he left office, Mr. Brennan, along with other city officials, was indicted on charges of violating the city's bidding ordinances. In two trials on separate charges, he was found not guilty.
   
   Besides his wife, Mr. Brennan leaves two sons, James F. Jr., and Thomas of Bedford; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
   
   Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 9 a.m. in St. Raphael's Church in Medford.

2. 2. News & Features | Down and out

   www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/n - [Cached]

   Published on: 10/3/2003   Last Visited: 10/3/2003

   The finish gave her the distinction of becoming the first Somerville mayor to lose a preliminary election since James F. Brennan did it in 1969.

3. 3. Boston Globe Online / Obituaries / James Brennan, 86; elected mayor of Somerville in 1967

   www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/210 - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/29/2002   Last Visited: 7/29/2002

   James Brennan, 86; elected mayor of Somerville in 1967 Boston Globe Online / Obituaries / James Brennan, 86; elected mayor of Somerville in 1967 ,obt,/dailyglobe2/210/obituaries/James Brennan 86 elected mayor of Somerville in 1967+.shtml,/dailyglobe2/210/obituaries/James Brennan 86 elected mayor of Somerville in 1967-.shtml,,Former Somerville mayor James F. Brennan, who once spent several days finding housing for six evicted families and their 35 children, died Saturday. He was 86.,11,,,C,James Brennan, 86; elected mayor of Somerville in 1967,7/29/2002,By Michael S. Rosenwald, Globe Staff,>," name=HideFromBrowserForVerity> >
   
   Related Features Our searchable archives contain obituaries from the past 18 years
   
   Death notices
   ...
   James Brennan, 86; elected mayor of Somerville in 1967
   
   ...
   ormer Somerville mayor James F. Brennan, who once spent several days finding housing for six evicted families and their 35 children, died Saturday. He was 86.
   
   His family said the cause of death was congestive heart failure.
   
   Mr. Brennan, elected in 1967, was a popular mayor. Newspapers called his primary loss to an Episcopal minister in 1969 a major upset.
   
   He once described the state's takeover of the welfare system as "a nightmare which is still with us."
   
   Mr. Brennan, who was born in Ireland, owned and operated the Brennan Insurance Co. in Union Square for many years and was elected mayor on his fourth try.
   
   Being mayor was not his original idea of civic service.
   
   "When I was 21, I wanted to be a state policeman," he said, "but I flunked the eye examination. That's when I gave up being a cop."
   
   After his term as mayor, Mr. Brennan served as Somerville's city clerk and president of the Chamber of Commerce.
   
   The past two decades, Mr. Brennan and his wife, Ruth, lived in Medford. He enjoyed taking frequent trips to Ireland, reading, and keeping up on politics, particularly what was going on in Somerville.
   
   Several years after he left office, Mr. Brennan, along with other city officials, was indicted on charges of violating the city's bidding ordinances. In two trials on separate charges, he was found not guilty.
   
   Besides his wife, Mr. Brennan leaves two sons, James F. Jr., and Thomas of Bedford; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
   
   Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 9 a.m. in St. Raphael's Church in Medford.