Richard L. Berkley, the first Jewish mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, died on Nov. 29 at age 92.
He was the city’s longest-serving mayor, serving three terms in office between 1979 and 1991.
“Mayor Berkley leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of service to our community,” current Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas wrote in a statement. “...Mayor Berkley helped our community come together after the Hyatt Regency Skywalk collapse, oversaw the transformation of our downtown skyline, and through his appointments to boards, commissions, and Council positions, created new opportunities for Kansas Citians of all backgrounds. A humble man, Mayor Berkley nonetheless drew the support of leaders nationally, serving as the president of the United States Conference of Mayors and shaping civic life in Kansas City over the 1980s.”
Former Kansas City mayor and current U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver wrote in a statement that he “lost a dear friend, and Kansas City has lost an iconic leader… Dick Berkley offered the calm, collected, and utterly effective leadership that helped transform Kansas City into the major metropolitan area it is today… Although he was a Republican, and I a Democrat, I cannot recall a single moment when Mayor Berkley was anything less than helpful, supportive, and committed to the progress and unity of our communities — because that was all that mattered in his eyes. I believe that is something to be treasured, and something that will be sorely missed.”
Berkley was born Richard Berkowitz in Kansas City in 1931. His family owned Tension Envelope Corp. (His cousin, Bill Berkley, is currently its president and CEO). He held an undergraduate and master’s degree from Harvard University.
When elected in 1979, he was a member of New Reform Temple and the first recipient of the Civic Service Award from Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy in 1974.
He and his family have been longtime supporters of Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and the greater Jewish community.
Upon Berkley’s election, The Chronicle’s then-editor, Milton Firestone, wrote the following in an editorial in the March 30, 1979, issue:
“The Jewish Chronicle has never endorsed political candidates, and we did not do so in the primary or general elections for mayor or city council. Nevertheless, we share with the entire Jewish community a rightful sense of pride that, for the first time, one of its distinguished sons has been elected to the city’s highest office. Dick Berkley has been an active and forceful figure in Jewish community activities, and we feel sure he will be a good mayor who will seek to unite the entire community — including all party labels, all races and religions — for the important challenges which face this city.”
Berkley is survived by his wife, Sandy; two children, Jon and Elizabeth; and three grandchildren.
“He was just a great champion and cheerleader and proponent of all of Kansas City, and I underline the all of Kansas City,” his cousin Bill Berkley told The Kansas City Star. “There was no place in this city that he didn’t go to, if anyone needed him. He was never too busy to take a call or to help someone. He was really a man of the people.”
See the official obituary here: kcjc.com/obituaries/9183-richard-l-berkley.
