Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who rose to the dual challenge of uniting the city after the Rodney King riots and rebuilding it after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, will be remembered on Friday at what is expected to to be a crowded memorial service at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Angels.
Riordan, who was mayor from 1993 to 2001, He died on April 19 at the age of 92.and his family announced that he “passed away peacefully…at his home in Brentwood, surrounded by his wife Elizabeth, family, friends and precious dogs”.
Archbishop José H. Gómez will preside at Friday Mass at 2 p.m. and the homily will be delivered by Bishop Lloyd Torgerson, pastor of the Holy Catholic Church. Monica, which was Riordan Parish, according to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Mass will also be streamed live on youtube.com/olacathedral.
Richard Riordan, mayor of Los Angeles between 1993 and 2001, was the last Republican to hold that post in the city, replacing Tom Bradley.
Dozens of past and present officials are expected to attend the service, including Mayor Karen Bass, who will host during a pre-liturgical program beginning at 1:30 p.m., the archdiocese said.
The Los Angeles City Council canceled its regular meeting on Friday to allow council members and other city officials to pay their respects to Riordan, according to City Council Speaker Paul Krekorian’s office.
The mass will be held in the cathedral whose construction Riordan helped speed up after extensive damage was sustained to its predecessor, St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, in the Northridge earthquake. The construction of the new cathedral began in 1998 and it was inaugurated in 2002.
“Not only did he rally the private sector to help rebuild I-10 and other buildings, but he also helped us when the city put a red tag on the old Cathedral of St. Vibiana in downtown. city,” said Cardinal Roger. Archbishop emeritus. of Los Angeles, recalled last week.
“He was instrumental in working with County Supervisor Gloria Molina on the acquisition of the Temple Street property between Grand Avenue and Hill Street. As he did for all major construction in the city during his eight years, he streamlined the permitting and inspection process, which shortened construction time.
Riordan’s death sparked an avalanche of tributes, including the city-colored lighting of City Hall, the Richard J. Riordan Central Library, the pylons at LAX, the Los Angeles Zoo and the bridge. from 6th street. .
He rose to the challenge of uniting the city after the Rodney King Riots and rebuilding it after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Riordan, a Los Angeles venture capitalist and restaurant owner, was the only Republican to serve as nonpartisan mayor since 1961, when Norris Poulson lost a bid for a third term. Riordan succeeded Tom Bradley, who held the position for a record 20 years.
Riordan took office just over a year after the riots that followed the verdict of the state trial of Los Angeles Police Department officers accused of beating to motorist Rodney Kingthen faced another challenge in his first year in office: Northridge’s Terremoto.
“Mayor Richard Riordan loved Los Angeles and was very dedicated to making our city better,” Bass said in a statement last week.
Thirty years ago, South-Central Los Angeles erupted in violence and flames during riots that erupted after four Los Angeles police officers were found ‘not guilty’ after beating Rodney King.
“Mayor Riordan’s legacy includes our city’s iconic Central Library, which he saved and rebuilt, and which today bears his name. In the aftermath of the Northridge earthquake, Mayor Riordan set the standard for emergency action.
He reassured us and gave us a response with an intensity that still pushes us all to be faster and stronger in the midst of the crisis. Although he was born in New York, Mayor Riordan will be remembered as a native of Los Angeles.”
Riordan’s administration was also marred by the infamous Rampart police scandal, in which dozens of Los Angeles Police Department officers were implicated in a variety of misconduct, including perjury, unprovoked shootings, beatings, planting evidence and stealing drugs.
Northridge earthquake: review of the first hours after the earthquake.
In última instancia, el Departamento de Justice de Estados Unidos, through a decreto de consent, intervino para supervisar al Departamento de Policía de Los Ángeles during five years from 2000, evitando una demande de derechos civiles del Departamento de Justice contra la city.
Riordan opposed the consent decree, but the city council prevailed over the mayor and it went into effect.
Riordan was born May 1, 1930 and grew up in New Rochelle, New York. He attended Santa Clara University, where he played on the football team, and after two years transferred to Princeton.
It was a natural disaster that left death and destruction, but also a great lesson in how to prepare for this and other types of natural phenomena.
After his time at Princeton, he served in the military in Korea, before moving to Southern California with his first wife, Eugenia “Genie” Warady. They had five children and founded the law firm Riordan & McKinzie.
Riordan is survived by his fourth wife, Elizabeth Gregory; three children; three grandchildren; and a sister