Pittsfield’s 35th Mayor Gerald S. Doyle Jr. Dead at 62

Former Pittsfield Mayor Gerald S. Doyle Jr. died on Sunday. He was 62. The Berkshire Eagle reports that according to friends, he had been undergoing treatment for cancer. Doyle was the city’s 35th mayor, serving two two-year terms from 1998 to 2002. Before taking the City’s top-job, Doyle previously served for several years on the Pittsfield City Council. At that time Edward M. Riley was Mayor. Reilly died last year.

The article in the Berkshire Eagle Tuesday, mentions Doyle’s role in consent decree negotiations which included demanding a place for local leaders at the bargaining table and bringing others, including U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, into the negotiations.

I think that the tenacity that he demonstrated during that period of time to bring about a settlement definitely benefited the city despite some of the criticism he received… ~ Former Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto (Berkshire Eagle)

Doyle and James Ruberto were good friends. The man who served as Mayor in the county’s other city at the time Doyle served Pittsfield (and now State Rep.) had high praise for Doyle…

The most beloved political leader the city of Pittsfield has ever seen ~ State Rep. John Barrett III (Berkshire Eagle)

Doyle was very prominent in the effort to bring a new baseball stadium to the City of Pittsfield during his tenure. That effort was wrought with controversy, unfortunately.

You may also recall that Doyle was responsible for the creation of the “Sister City” relationship that Pittsfield enjoyed prominently with Ballina in County Mayo, Ireland. A Pittsfield delegation traveled on several occasions from Pittsfield to Ireland and our city in turn hosted the Irish delegation. Doyle was also the keynote speaker at Ballina’s international festival in 1999, according to former Berkshire News Network director, Larry Kratka, who also traversed to Ballina as part of the Pittsfield delegation.

At the time of this article, funeral arrangements for Doyle had not been announced.