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Pa. Lt. Gov. Knoll dies of cancer

Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, 78, the first woman elected to that office in Pennsylvania history and widely regarded as a feisty political trailblazer in the state, died yesterday after a battle with a rare form of cancer.

Pa. Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll on the steps at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg. Knoll died Wednesday. (AP / The Patriot-News)
Pa. Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll on the steps at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg. Knoll died Wednesday. (AP / The Patriot-News)Read more

Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, 78, the first woman elected to that office in Pennsylvania history and widely regarded as a feisty political trailblazer in the state, died yesterday after a battle with a rare form of cancer.

"Today we mourn the passing of one of the strongest, most dedicated public servants in Pennsylvania's history," Gov. Rendell said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Catherine's family. She will be deeply missed."

Knoll died about 6 p.m. at National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, where she was undergoing physical therapy following treatment for neuroendocrine cancer. She was surrounded by her family, according to the Governor's Office.

Knoll announced this summer that she was suffering from the disease, which generally affects specialized cells that work to keep many of the body's hormonal and digestive functions in check.

She had vowed to return to work and did so for a day, presiding over the Senate for the start of its fall session. But she looked drawn and tired.

"She fought this illness with the same tenacity she brought to a lifetime of public service," her son Albert Baker Knoll said last night.

She will be replaced as lieutenant governor by Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph B. Scarnati III (R., Jefferson).

As word of her passing spread, politicians raced to talk about her contribution to the state.

"Our commonwealth is saying goodbye to a true pioneer, and all those who knew Catherine feel a profound sense of loss this evening," said House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D., Greene). "Catherine was a trailblazer among female elected officials, and her love for the commonwealth transcended generations. We are all better politicians - male and female alike - for having known Catherine Baker Knoll."

"Her strength and character were plain for all to see, and she touched generations of Pennsylvanians," said House Speaker Dennis M. O'Brien (R., Phila.).

"She was a tremendous leader for the commonwealth and embodied the type of character expected of true, effective public servants," Scarnati said.

Said House Majority Whip Keith McCall (D., Carbon): "It is normally difficult to know when one is witnessing history, but anyone who has had the privilege of working with Catherine Baker Knoll knew that she was truly a Pennsylvanian for the ages."

"She will be remembered for generations because of her work in creating the Tuition Account Program, which has made it possible for tens of thousands of young people to attend college," said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.).

As lieutenant governor, one of her main duties was presiding over the Senate, which she did until her illness with a near-perfect attendance record.

Steve MacNett, chief counsel for the Senate Republicans, said her personality had a calming influence on the sometimes heated chamber. "You see her, you see your grandmother. . . . She kept things on an even keel."

Drew Crompton, a spokesman for Scarnati, said a decision about a swearing-in ceremony will be made today. He said Scarnati will retain the role as president pro tempore, as his predecessor Robert Jubelirer did in 2001 when Lt. Gov. Mark Schweiker became governor after Gov. Tom Ridge left to become Homeland Security director.

One of nine children, Knoll was born in McKees Rocks, a working-class community outside Pittsburgh. She got into politics by campaigning at the side of her father, who was mayor.

Knoll's life was devoted to public service. She was a schoolteacher and a businesswoman, and she served eight years as state treasurer before joining Rendell on the Democratic gubernatorial ticket in 2002.

Knoll made history at the polls in 1994. Running for a second term as treasurer, she collected what at the time was the largest number of votes cast for a Democrat in a statewide race in Pennsylvania.

Her tenure as treasurer had been damaged by allegations that a former campaign aide used his position to benefit from the sale of state bonds. Knoll was never implicated, but it came up repeatedly in later campaigns.

She supported numerous causes and programs that ranged from promoting the proper securing of firearms in homes to helping disadvantaged women enter the workforce.

G. Terry Madonna, a pollster and politics professor at Franklin and Marshall College, called Knoll "one of Pennsylvania's true political pioneers."

"She opened up doors for women in politics in our state that had been closed before," Madonna said.

"She was one of those people who, at a drop of a hat, would go almost anywhere to give a speech or provide a helping hand. In this day and age, that's something a lot of politicians won't do."

Knoll in her later years had been criticized by some and ridiculed by others as not ready to assume the state's top political post if Rendell left office or died.

At times, she could be politically clumsy.

She once made headlines by referring publicly to Rendell as Edward G. Robinson.

In the summer of 2005, she was widely scolded for attending a funeral of a Marine killed in combat and passing out business cards. She later apologized.

Later that year, she also was chastised by the then-top senator for recognizing on the Senate floor a parrot named Groucho that had attended the session to sing a song.

This past spring, at a political rally for Hillary Rodham Clinton, she grabbed the microphone out of former President Bill Clinton's hands because she was angry that local officials hadn't acknowledged her at the event.

Rendell in an interview last night called Knoll "a tremendous partner" and said, "If she made any mistakes, and we all do in public life, they were mistakes of the heart."

Referring to the funeral incident, Rendell said, "She wasn't passing out cards to get votes. She was passing out cards because she wanted to help the family in any way to alleviate their problems."

Her late husband, Charles, was a U.S. postmaster. In addition to her son Albert, she is survived by her children Charles, Mina, and Kim Eric.