KINGSTON — Rep. Aaron Kaufer expressed that Wednesday was a sorrowful day for him and all of Kingston.
Kaufer mentioned the passing of Jim Haggerty and Jack Schumacher, both of whom were mentors and friends to Kaufer and Kingston Administrator Paul Keating.
“It’s rare to lose two individuals as involved in their local communities as Jim Haggerty and Jack Schumacher on the same day,” Kaufer stated.
District Judge Jim Haggerty, who served as mayor of Kingston for 20 years, passed away at Roswell Park Cancer Hospital in Buffalo, N.Y., on Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. Schumacher had passed earlier that day at 3:15 p.m.
Additionally, the day Haggerty and Schumacher passed — within two hours of each other, by the way — was Keating’s 53rd birthday.
“I am reminded of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson dying on the same day,” Kaufer said. “They were political rivals who ran against one another, but eventually became friends.”
Adams and Jefferson died on the same day — July 4, 1826 — 50 years after they adopted the Declaration of Independence. Adams was 90, and Jefferson was 83.
Kaufer, 35, said Haggerty and Schumacher were just as meaningful to Kingston over the past three decades, as Jefferson and Adams were to the country nearly 250 years ago.
“They have both left a lasting mark on our community and they should be remembered as faithful public servants who always put Kingston first,” Kaufer said. “Jim Haggerty helped turn our town’s finances around with the help and support of Paul Keating, and the entire crew of elected officials over the years, including Jack Schumacher.”
During their time in office, Kaufer said Haggerty and Schumacher established a well-run town, including adding a new firehouse, renovating community parks all over the town including the Kingston Pool, and a newly renovated municipal building and police department headquarters by the end of the year.
“None of this would have been possible without the leadership of Jim Haggerty and Jack Schumacher,” Kaufer said.
Then Kaufer added, “Apart from all this, Jack was like a second father to me and served as my campaign chair for all these years. I cannot thank him enough for everything he’s done to help make me the man I am today.”
Haggerty was elected district judge in Kingston and Edwardsville in the 2017 General Election and was reelected to a second six-year term last year.
Upon taking the oath of office for district judge, Haggerty resigned as mayor of Kingston, a position he held from 1998 until 2017.
Kaufer, who served as a Junior Council-member when he was 15, said Haggerty was his first “political friend” ever.
“I knew them both for 20-plus years,” Kaufer said of Haggerty and Schumacher.
Keating said Schumacher and Haggerty were truly genuine men who devoted themselves to public service and to the betterment of their community.
“Both men were with Kingston for long periods of time and lots of good things happened as a result of their efforts,” Keating said. “And they were both very passionate about the Hoyt Library and making sure Kingston stayed afloat financially, along with providing the very best services and professional staff possible.”
In the end, Keating stated that Haggerty and Schumacher achieved a lot for Kingston.
”I believe their proudest moments were serving as Mayor and Councilman for the Municipality of Kingston,” Keating said. “On a personal level, it’s the values they taught me, the leadership qualities they instilled in me, and how they always emphasized the importance of prioritizing others to ensure the job was done right.”
As Keating gets ready for a future without Haggerty and Schumacher’s advice, he hopes that their actions, methods, and impact on Kingston will continue for a long time.
“I hope Jim and Jack are always remembered and respected for all they achieved as we move forward,” Keating said.
Haggerty’s family announced that friends and family may call from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, March 24, in the Rotunda at the Luzerne County Courthouse, 200 North River St., Wilkes-Barre.
