Pittsburgh remembered Mayor Bob O'Connor on Thursday with jokes, laughter and a few tears on the 10th anniversary of the mayor's death.
More than 200 people, including O'Connor's family, close friends and two former mayors, gathered in front of the City-County Building, Downtown, to share memories.
They said the affable O'Connor loved Pittsburgh and Pittsburghers loved him.
"I see him in every bridge and every neighborhood because he was truly a Pittsburgher in life," his son, City Councilman Corey O'Connor, said. "Please be as optimistic about our city and our future as he was."
O'Connor died on Sept. 1, 2006, of brain cancer, eight months after being inaugurated in front of the City-County Building.
The event, "A Tribute to Bob O'Connor," was meant to be a celebration, but it had moments of sadness.
It began with the playing of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" over chimes at the nearby Allegheny County Courthouse, followed by bagpipers from the Pittsburgh Firefighters Memorial Pipe Band playing "God Bless America."
O'Connor's widow, Judy, wiped away tears recalling how much her husband liked the city.
"He would probably say, 'Here we are. I brought people together again.' Bob was all about bringing people together," she said, thanking the city for "helping us through everything."
Robert Jablonowski of Greenfield, a close friend, said O'Connor never changed, even after ascending to the city's highest office, they said.
"He was an average guy," he said. "He became the mayor of Pittsburgh and he had that same personality as he did when he was a steelworker."
