Preceded in death by parents, John J. "Jack" and Kathleen Cavanaugh; infant brother, Michael Gerard.
Survived by his daughters, Maeve and Grace Cavanaugh; brothers, John (Kathleen), and Jim (Leslie) Cavanaugh; sisters, Mary Anne Lucas, Cathleen Amdor, and Dr. Margaret (Dr. Steve Boyer) Cavanaugh-Boyer; sister-in-law, Patricia Cavanaugh; nieces, nephews, aunts and cousins; former wife, Nicole Cavanaugh.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the family for an educational trust for Tom's daughters; or to the Cavanaugh Family Memorial Fund at Security National Bank, 7805 Cass St., Omaha 68114. The family will receive friends Tuesday, October 27th at 6pm at Holy Cross Catholic Church, with VIGIL SERVICE to follow at 7:30pm at the church. FUNERAL MASS Wednesday, Oct. 28th at 10:30am at Holy Cross Catholic Church.
HEAFEY-HOFFMANN-DWORAK-CUTLER WEST CENTER CHAPEL
7805 W. Center Rd. 402-391-3900 www.heafeyheafey.com
-----------------------------
From the Omaha World Herald Newspaper:
Douglas County Clerk/Comptroller Tom Cavanaugh died Friday at the age of 63.
Cavanaugh served as clerk/comptroller since 1986, overseeing the consolidation of services for car licensing from three steps to one, the establishment of a centralized internal auditor and he issued the first same sex marriage license in Douglas County.
He is survived by two daughters.
Cavanaugh came from a long line of Nebraska public servants. His father John was a Douglas County commissioner and his uncles and brothers have all served in elective office on the local, state or federal levels.
-----------------------
In a 30-year career as Douglas County Clerk, Tom Cavanaugh developed a reputation for honesty, openness and integrity, colleagues said.
Cavanaugh, 63, died of lung cancer Friday. He’d been receiving hospice care at the Douglas County Health Center.
"It was a gift to know him," said Kathleen Hall, Cavanaugh’s longtime chief deputy.
Following his death, family members gathered in his office to reminisce and look through decades of personal and political memorabilia: Signs and literature from bygone campaigns. U.S. and Irish flags. Pins, buttons and other political knick-knacks. A framed quote from a 2009 White House open-government memo that begins: "In the face of doubt, openness prevails."
There were pictures of Cavanaugh in the early 1980s — dark hair, crooked grin — during an unsuccessful campaign to unseat then-U.S. Rep. Hal Daub.
Pictures of Tom on horseback with his two girls, Maeve and Grace, on a sunny ride through his sister’s ranch in the Sandhills. Those trips meant the world to him, said his older brother John, a former state senator and congressman.
"That was the other half of his life," he said.
There were pictures of Tom with his mother, Kathleen Munnelly Cavanaugh, the matriarch of this prominent Democratic family. An old campaign poster for his father, John J. "Jack" Cavanaugh, a major force in South Omaha politics who served 18 years on the County Board.
Cavanaugh’s uncles were politically involved, as well: James F. Munnelly served for 30 years on the Nebraska Public Service Commission, and John "Red" Munnelly was a state senator, Omaha postmaster, Omaha Public Power District board member and co-chairman of John F. Kennedy’s 1960 Nebraska campaign.
Tom Cavanaugh was appointed county clerk in 1986 to replace Walter Spellman, who died while in office. He was elected in 1988 and then re-elected every cycle afterward — often the top vote-getter on the county ballot, said brother Jim Cavanaugh, who was elected to the County Board last fall.
Friends, colleagues and family members said Tom always took seriously his responsibility to make government more open, accountable and efficient.
"That was his calling," Jim Cavanaugh said. "He really dedicated his life to this."
Hall, Cavanaugh’s chief deputy, said he wasn’t afraid to make political enemies in his quest to make government accountable to voters.
The office has come a long way since Cavanaugh was first elected. Early on, Hall said, the clerk’s office once received a $40,000 invoice written on a cocktail napkin. Now, numerous documents detailing county spending are posted on the clerk’s website, and staffers go out of their way to steer people toward public information.
"The ‘We work for you’ motto wasn’t a corny joke," Hall said. "I know people think it’s corny. But he really and truly believed that we were put here on Earth to help others. And he believed that public officials should be accountable to taxpayers for every penny they spend."
To Republican County Board member Clare Duda, Cavanaugh was a mentor and a friend. Cavanaugh’s commitment to openness and nonpartisan public service "made quite an impression on me," Duda said.
Hooker County Clerk Dave Sullivan, a family friend, said Cavanaugh at times worked toward transparency in the face of "a fair amount of resistance."
"He really did work hard at letting the public know what his office was doing, what the commissioners were doing," Sullivan said.
In a statement provided by the family, State Sen. John McCollister called Cavanaugh "the best public servant we had."
"He ran the most honest, transparent office in Douglas County," said McCollister, a Republican. "Although we hail from different political parties, I have always held him in high regard."
Cavanaugh was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer earlier this year. For months, he held out hopes of recovery and told colleagues that he planned to run for re-election in 2016. In March, he was honored at a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast of local Irish-American politicians.
But his health declined, and a few weeks ago he began hospice care, Jim Cavanaugh said.
Cavanaugh died at the hospital for which his family has long been an advocate. A pavilion in the Douglas County Health Center is named for his father. Tom Cavanaugh was a longtime member of the hospital foundation’s board, and Jim Cavanaugh joined the foundation board this spring.
"We’ve lost a trusted advocate and a true and dedicated friend," said Amy Chittenden, president of the Douglas County Health Center Foundation.
Mark McMillan, an executive at First National Bank who said Cavanaugh was his best friend for 50 years, said he’ll miss Cavanaugh’s humor and sense of adventure, whether they were rafting down the Niobrara River or hitch-hiking across Ireland.
"You couldn’t ask for a better friend," he said.
A funeral Mass will be held Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Cavanaugh’s parish.
The County Board will appoint his replacement at a future meeting, Board Chairwoman Mary Ann Borgeson said. Hall will be acting clerk until then.
"My heart goes out to his little girls and the rest of the Cavanaugh family," Borgeson said. "It’s a huge loss."
Survived by his daughters, Maeve and Grace Cavanaugh; brothers, John (Kathleen), and Jim (Leslie) Cavanaugh; sisters, Mary Anne Lucas, Cathleen Amdor, and Dr. Margaret (Dr. Steve Boyer) Cavanaugh-Boyer; sister-in-law, Patricia Cavanaugh; nieces, nephews, aunts and cousins; former wife, Nicole Cavanaugh.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the family for an educational trust for Tom's daughters; or to the Cavanaugh Family Memorial Fund at Security National Bank, 7805 Cass St., Omaha 68114. The family will receive friends Tuesday, October 27th at 6pm at Holy Cross Catholic Church, with VIGIL SERVICE to follow at 7:30pm at the church. FUNERAL MASS Wednesday, Oct. 28th at 10:30am at Holy Cross Catholic Church.
HEAFEY-HOFFMANN-DWORAK-CUTLER WEST CENTER CHAPEL
7805 W. Center Rd. 402-391-3900 www.heafeyheafey.com
-----------------------------
From the Omaha World Herald Newspaper:
Douglas County Clerk/Comptroller Tom Cavanaugh died Friday at the age of 63.
Cavanaugh served as clerk/comptroller since 1986, overseeing the consolidation of services for car licensing from three steps to one, the establishment of a centralized internal auditor and he issued the first same sex marriage license in Douglas County.
He is survived by two daughters.
Cavanaugh came from a long line of Nebraska public servants. His father John was a Douglas County commissioner and his uncles and brothers have all served in elective office on the local, state or federal levels.
-----------------------
In a 30-year career as Douglas County Clerk, Tom Cavanaugh developed a reputation for honesty, openness and integrity, colleagues said.
Cavanaugh, 63, died of lung cancer Friday. He’d been receiving hospice care at the Douglas County Health Center.
"It was a gift to know him," said Kathleen Hall, Cavanaugh’s longtime chief deputy.
Following his death, family members gathered in his office to reminisce and look through decades of personal and political memorabilia: Signs and literature from bygone campaigns. U.S. and Irish flags. Pins, buttons and other political knick-knacks. A framed quote from a 2009 White House open-government memo that begins: "In the face of doubt, openness prevails."
There were pictures of Cavanaugh in the early 1980s — dark hair, crooked grin — during an unsuccessful campaign to unseat then-U.S. Rep. Hal Daub.
Pictures of Tom on horseback with his two girls, Maeve and Grace, on a sunny ride through his sister’s ranch in the Sandhills. Those trips meant the world to him, said his older brother John, a former state senator and congressman.
"That was the other half of his life," he said.
There were pictures of Tom with his mother, Kathleen Munnelly Cavanaugh, the matriarch of this prominent Democratic family. An old campaign poster for his father, John J. "Jack" Cavanaugh, a major force in South Omaha politics who served 18 years on the County Board.
Cavanaugh’s uncles were politically involved, as well: James F. Munnelly served for 30 years on the Nebraska Public Service Commission, and John "Red" Munnelly was a state senator, Omaha postmaster, Omaha Public Power District board member and co-chairman of John F. Kennedy’s 1960 Nebraska campaign.
Tom Cavanaugh was appointed county clerk in 1986 to replace Walter Spellman, who died while in office. He was elected in 1988 and then re-elected every cycle afterward — often the top vote-getter on the county ballot, said brother Jim Cavanaugh, who was elected to the County Board last fall.
Friends, colleagues and family members said Tom always took seriously his responsibility to make government more open, accountable and efficient.
"That was his calling," Jim Cavanaugh said. "He really dedicated his life to this."
Hall, Cavanaugh’s chief deputy, said he wasn’t afraid to make political enemies in his quest to make government accountable to voters.
The office has come a long way since Cavanaugh was first elected. Early on, Hall said, the clerk’s office once received a $40,000 invoice written on a cocktail napkin. Now, numerous documents detailing county spending are posted on the clerk’s website, and staffers go out of their way to steer people toward public information.
"The ‘We work for you’ motto wasn’t a corny joke," Hall said. "I know people think it’s corny. But he really and truly believed that we were put here on Earth to help others. And he believed that public officials should be accountable to taxpayers for every penny they spend."
To Republican County Board member Clare Duda, Cavanaugh was a mentor and a friend. Cavanaugh’s commitment to openness and nonpartisan public service "made quite an impression on me," Duda said.
Hooker County Clerk Dave Sullivan, a family friend, said Cavanaugh at times worked toward transparency in the face of "a fair amount of resistance."
"He really did work hard at letting the public know what his office was doing, what the commissioners were doing," Sullivan said.
In a statement provided by the family, State Sen. John McCollister called Cavanaugh "the best public servant we had."
"He ran the most honest, transparent office in Douglas County," said McCollister, a Republican. "Although we hail from different political parties, I have always held him in high regard."
Cavanaugh was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer earlier this year. For months, he held out hopes of recovery and told colleagues that he planned to run for re-election in 2016. In March, he was honored at a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast of local Irish-American politicians.
But his health declined, and a few weeks ago he began hospice care, Jim Cavanaugh said.
Cavanaugh died at the hospital for which his family has long been an advocate. A pavilion in the Douglas County Health Center is named for his father. Tom Cavanaugh was a longtime member of the hospital foundation’s board, and Jim Cavanaugh joined the foundation board this spring.
"We’ve lost a trusted advocate and a true and dedicated friend," said Amy Chittenden, president of the Douglas County Health Center Foundation.
Mark McMillan, an executive at First National Bank who said Cavanaugh was his best friend for 50 years, said he’ll miss Cavanaugh’s humor and sense of adventure, whether they were rafting down the Niobrara River or hitch-hiking across Ireland.
"You couldn’t ask for a better friend," he said.
A funeral Mass will be held Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Cavanaugh’s parish.
The County Board will appoint his replacement at a future meeting, Board Chairwoman Mary Ann Borgeson said. Hall will be acting clerk until then.
"My heart goes out to his little girls and the rest of the Cavanaugh family," Borgeson said. "It’s a huge loss."
Preceded in death by parents, John J. "Jack" and Kathleen Cavanaugh; infant brother, Michael Gerard.
Survived by his daughters, Maeve and Grace Cavanaugh; brothers, John (Kathleen), and Jim (Leslie) Cavanaugh; sisters, Mary Anne Lucas, Cathleen Amdor, and Dr. Margaret (Dr. Steve Boyer) Cavanaugh-Boyer; sister-in-law, Patricia Cavanaugh; nieces, nephews, aunts and cousins; former wife, Nicole Cavanaugh.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the family for an educational trust for Tom's daughters; or to the Cavanaugh Family Memorial Fund at Security National Bank, 7805 Cass St., Omaha 68114. The family will receive friends Tuesday, October 27th at 6pm at Holy Cross Catholic Church, with VIGIL SERVICE to follow at 7:30pm at the church. FUNERAL MASS Wednesday, Oct. 28th at 10:30am at Holy Cross Catholic Church.
HEAFEY-HOFFMANN-DWORAK-CUTLER WEST CENTER CHAPEL
7805 W. Center Rd. 402-391-3900 www.heafeyheafey.com
-----------------------------
From the Omaha World Herald Newspaper:
Douglas County Clerk/Comptroller Tom Cavanaugh died Friday at the age of 63.
Cavanaugh served as clerk/comptroller since 1986, overseeing the consolidation of services for car licensing from three steps to one, the establishment of a centralized internal auditor and he issued the first same sex marriage license in Douglas County.
He is survived by two daughters.
Cavanaugh came from a long line of Nebraska public servants. His father John was a Douglas County commissioner and his uncles and brothers have all served in elective office on the local, state or federal levels.
-----------------------
In a 30-year career as Douglas County Clerk, Tom Cavanaugh developed a reputation for honesty, openness and integrity, colleagues said.
Cavanaugh, 63, died of lung cancer Friday. He’d been receiving hospice care at the Douglas County Health Center.
"It was a gift to know him," said Kathleen Hall, Cavanaugh’s longtime chief deputy.
Following his death, family members gathered in his office to reminisce and look through decades of personal and political memorabilia: Signs and literature from bygone campaigns. U.S. and Irish flags. Pins, buttons and other political knick-knacks. A framed quote from a 2009 White House open-government memo that begins: "In the face of doubt, openness prevails."
There were pictures of Cavanaugh in the early 1980s — dark hair, crooked grin — during an unsuccessful campaign to unseat then-U.S. Rep. Hal Daub.
Pictures of Tom on horseback with his two girls, Maeve and Grace, on a sunny ride through his sister’s ranch in the Sandhills. Those trips meant the world to him, said his older brother John, a former state senator and congressman.
"That was the other half of his life," he said.
There were pictures of Tom with his mother, Kathleen Munnelly Cavanaugh, the matriarch of this prominent Democratic family. An old campaign poster for his father, John J. "Jack" Cavanaugh, a major force in South Omaha politics who served 18 years on the County Board.
Cavanaugh’s uncles were politically involved, as well: James F. Munnelly served for 30 years on the Nebraska Public Service Commission, and John "Red" Munnelly was a state senator, Omaha postmaster, Omaha Public Power District board member and co-chairman of John F. Kennedy’s 1960 Nebraska campaign.
Tom Cavanaugh was appointed county clerk in 1986 to replace Walter Spellman, who died while in office. He was elected in 1988 and then re-elected every cycle afterward — often the top vote-getter on the county ballot, said brother Jim Cavanaugh, who was elected to the County Board last fall.
Friends, colleagues and family members said Tom always took seriously his responsibility to make government more open, accountable and efficient.
"That was his calling," Jim Cavanaugh said. "He really dedicated his life to this."
Hall, Cavanaugh’s chief deputy, said he wasn’t afraid to make political enemies in his quest to make government accountable to voters.
The office has come a long way since Cavanaugh was first elected. Early on, Hall said, the clerk’s office once received a $40,000 invoice written on a cocktail napkin. Now, numerous documents detailing county spending are posted on the clerk’s website, and staffers go out of their way to steer people toward public information.
"The ‘We work for you’ motto wasn’t a corny joke," Hall said. "I know people think it’s corny. But he really and truly believed that we were put here on Earth to help others. And he believed that public officials should be accountable to taxpayers for every penny they spend."
To Republican County Board member Clare Duda, Cavanaugh was a mentor and a friend. Cavanaugh’s commitment to openness and nonpartisan public service "made quite an impression on me," Duda said.
Hooker County Clerk Dave Sullivan, a family friend, said Cavanaugh at times worked toward transparency in the face of "a fair amount of resistance."
"He really did work hard at letting the public know what his office was doing, what the commissioners were doing," Sullivan said.
In a statement provided by the family, State Sen. John McCollister called Cavanaugh "the best public servant we had."
"He ran the most honest, transparent office in Douglas County," said McCollister, a Republican. "Although we hail from different political parties, I have always held him in high regard."
Cavanaugh was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer earlier this year. For months, he held out hopes of recovery and told colleagues that he planned to run for re-election in 2016. In March, he was honored at a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast of local Irish-American politicians.
But his health declined, and a few weeks ago he began hospice care, Jim Cavanaugh said.
Cavanaugh died at the hospital for which his family has long been an advocate. A pavilion in the Douglas County Health Center is named for his father. Tom Cavanaugh was a longtime member of the hospital foundation’s board, and Jim Cavanaugh joined the foundation board this spring.
"We’ve lost a trusted advocate and a true and dedicated friend," said Amy Chittenden, president of the Douglas County Health Center Foundation.
Mark McMillan, an executive at First National Bank who said Cavanaugh was his best friend for 50 years, said he’ll miss Cavanaugh’s humor and sense of adventure, whether they were rafting down the Niobrara River or hitch-hiking across Ireland.
"You couldn’t ask for a better friend," he said.
A funeral Mass will be held Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Cavanaugh’s parish.
The County Board will appoint his replacement at a future meeting, Board Chairwoman Mary Ann Borgeson said. Hall will be acting clerk until then.
"My heart goes out to his little girls and the rest of the Cavanaugh family," Borgeson said. "It’s a huge loss."
Survived by his daughters, Maeve and Grace Cavanaugh; brothers, John (Kathleen), and Jim (Leslie) Cavanaugh; sisters, Mary Anne Lucas, Cathleen Amdor, and Dr. Margaret (Dr. Steve Boyer) Cavanaugh-Boyer; sister-in-law, Patricia Cavanaugh; nieces, nephews, aunts and cousins; former wife, Nicole Cavanaugh.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the family for an educational trust for Tom's daughters; or to the Cavanaugh Family Memorial Fund at Security National Bank, 7805 Cass St., Omaha 68114. The family will receive friends Tuesday, October 27th at 6pm at Holy Cross Catholic Church, with VIGIL SERVICE to follow at 7:30pm at the church. FUNERAL MASS Wednesday, Oct. 28th at 10:30am at Holy Cross Catholic Church.
HEAFEY-HOFFMANN-DWORAK-CUTLER WEST CENTER CHAPEL
7805 W. Center Rd. 402-391-3900 www.heafeyheafey.com
-----------------------------
From the Omaha World Herald Newspaper:
Douglas County Clerk/Comptroller Tom Cavanaugh died Friday at the age of 63.
Cavanaugh served as clerk/comptroller since 1986, overseeing the consolidation of services for car licensing from three steps to one, the establishment of a centralized internal auditor and he issued the first same sex marriage license in Douglas County.
He is survived by two daughters.
Cavanaugh came from a long line of Nebraska public servants. His father John was a Douglas County commissioner and his uncles and brothers have all served in elective office on the local, state or federal levels.
-----------------------
In a 30-year career as Douglas County Clerk, Tom Cavanaugh developed a reputation for honesty, openness and integrity, colleagues said.
Cavanaugh, 63, died of lung cancer Friday. He’d been receiving hospice care at the Douglas County Health Center.
"It was a gift to know him," said Kathleen Hall, Cavanaugh’s longtime chief deputy.
Following his death, family members gathered in his office to reminisce and look through decades of personal and political memorabilia: Signs and literature from bygone campaigns. U.S. and Irish flags. Pins, buttons and other political knick-knacks. A framed quote from a 2009 White House open-government memo that begins: "In the face of doubt, openness prevails."
There were pictures of Cavanaugh in the early 1980s — dark hair, crooked grin — during an unsuccessful campaign to unseat then-U.S. Rep. Hal Daub.
Pictures of Tom on horseback with his two girls, Maeve and Grace, on a sunny ride through his sister’s ranch in the Sandhills. Those trips meant the world to him, said his older brother John, a former state senator and congressman.
"That was the other half of his life," he said.
There were pictures of Tom with his mother, Kathleen Munnelly Cavanaugh, the matriarch of this prominent Democratic family. An old campaign poster for his father, John J. "Jack" Cavanaugh, a major force in South Omaha politics who served 18 years on the County Board.
Cavanaugh’s uncles were politically involved, as well: James F. Munnelly served for 30 years on the Nebraska Public Service Commission, and John "Red" Munnelly was a state senator, Omaha postmaster, Omaha Public Power District board member and co-chairman of John F. Kennedy’s 1960 Nebraska campaign.
Tom Cavanaugh was appointed county clerk in 1986 to replace Walter Spellman, who died while in office. He was elected in 1988 and then re-elected every cycle afterward — often the top vote-getter on the county ballot, said brother Jim Cavanaugh, who was elected to the County Board last fall.
Friends, colleagues and family members said Tom always took seriously his responsibility to make government more open, accountable and efficient.
"That was his calling," Jim Cavanaugh said. "He really dedicated his life to this."
Hall, Cavanaugh’s chief deputy, said he wasn’t afraid to make political enemies in his quest to make government accountable to voters.
The office has come a long way since Cavanaugh was first elected. Early on, Hall said, the clerk’s office once received a $40,000 invoice written on a cocktail napkin. Now, numerous documents detailing county spending are posted on the clerk’s website, and staffers go out of their way to steer people toward public information.
"The ‘We work for you’ motto wasn’t a corny joke," Hall said. "I know people think it’s corny. But he really and truly believed that we were put here on Earth to help others. And he believed that public officials should be accountable to taxpayers for every penny they spend."
To Republican County Board member Clare Duda, Cavanaugh was a mentor and a friend. Cavanaugh’s commitment to openness and nonpartisan public service "made quite an impression on me," Duda said.
Hooker County Clerk Dave Sullivan, a family friend, said Cavanaugh at times worked toward transparency in the face of "a fair amount of resistance."
"He really did work hard at letting the public know what his office was doing, what the commissioners were doing," Sullivan said.
In a statement provided by the family, State Sen. John McCollister called Cavanaugh "the best public servant we had."
"He ran the most honest, transparent office in Douglas County," said McCollister, a Republican. "Although we hail from different political parties, I have always held him in high regard."
Cavanaugh was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer earlier this year. For months, he held out hopes of recovery and told colleagues that he planned to run for re-election in 2016. In March, he was honored at a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast of local Irish-American politicians.
But his health declined, and a few weeks ago he began hospice care, Jim Cavanaugh said.
Cavanaugh died at the hospital for which his family has long been an advocate. A pavilion in the Douglas County Health Center is named for his father. Tom Cavanaugh was a longtime member of the hospital foundation’s board, and Jim Cavanaugh joined the foundation board this spring.
"We’ve lost a trusted advocate and a true and dedicated friend," said Amy Chittenden, president of the Douglas County Health Center Foundation.
Mark McMillan, an executive at First National Bank who said Cavanaugh was his best friend for 50 years, said he’ll miss Cavanaugh’s humor and sense of adventure, whether they were rafting down the Niobrara River or hitch-hiking across Ireland.
"You couldn’t ask for a better friend," he said.
A funeral Mass will be held Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Cavanaugh’s parish.
The County Board will appoint his replacement at a future meeting, Board Chairwoman Mary Ann Borgeson said. Hall will be acting clerk until then.
"My heart goes out to his little girls and the rest of the Cavanaugh family," Borgeson said. "It’s a huge loss."
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