Former New York Congressman Maurice Hinchey has died.
Hinchey’s family revealed in June that he had been diagnosed with a rare, terminal neurological disorder known as Frontotemporal Degeneration. The diagnosis came after Hinchey’s successful battle with colon cancer in 2011. Hinchey left Congress after 10 terms in 2012. He had previously served in the state Assembly. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal via a family statement, Hinchey died peacefully at his home in Saugerties Wednesday. He was 79. Hinchey was an environmental champion, fighting against fracking, PCBs in the Hudson and several other issues. The Catskill Interpretative Center is named for him.