Sen. Frank Lautenberg dies at 89

Five-term Senator Frank R. Lautenberg died June 3rd in a New York hospital from complications due to viral pneumonia. He was the last sitting member of the Senate to have served in World War II. The New Jersey Democrat first took office in 1982, took a short hiatus from office in 2000, and returned as a freshman lawmaker in 2002 at age 78.

Before becoming a member of the Senate, Lautenberg made a fortune building Automatic Data Processing, the payroll-processing services corporation. In explanation for why he decided to run for the Senate in 1982, he stated,

“I supported Birch Bayh, Ted Kennedy, Gary Hart, John Glenn,” he told the Trenton Times in 1982. “I thought, ‘If I’m willing to support them, why shouldn’t I support myself?’ ”

Lautenberg is survived by his second wife – Bonnie Englebardt, four children from his first marriage, two step-children, and 13 grandchildren.