Former Alexandria Mayor Patsy Ticer Dies

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Alexandria's first female mayor and four-term state senator Patsy Ticer died Monday, Aug. 7 at a hospital, The Washington Post reported. She was 82.

According to her daughter Margaret Janowsky, she died from complications after a fall.

Before getting involved in politics, Ticer she was an activist, real estate agent and hospital volunteer. Her husband John “Jack” Ticer served on Alexandria's city council, then Ticer herself served three terms on the council in the 1980s.

A Democrat, some of her top priorities were early childhood development, education and affordable housing. She then served as vice mayor to Jim Moran and took over as mayor in 1991 when Moran won a seat in Congress.

She held this position from 1991 to 1996, when she then won a state Senate seat over incumbent Republican Robert Calhoun. She served four terms and did not seek reelection in 2011. During this time, she fought for the Chesapeake bay cleanup and served as chair of the Senate’s Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.

Born in 1935, Ticer grew up in Alexandria. She attended Sweet Briar College, an all-women’s school in Virginia, with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Ticer had also helped form the Alexandria Commission for the Arts and was involved in several PTAS, community and charitable organizations.

“She could have had a very comfortable life but chose the messy world of politics,” Moran told The Post. “She was always able to be a political leader without really treating anyone badly nor compromising her integrity.”

Her husband Jack, who had encouraged her to run for city council, died in 2007.

A number of community officials mourned the loss of Ticer Monday:

Saddened to hear that former Senator Patsy Ticer of Alexandria passed away overnight. Her grace, charm, and humility were unparalleled. pic.twitter.com/fmYzxVL3zz
— Adam Ebbin (@AdamEbbin) August 7, 2017

See Ticer's full obituary from The Washington Post.

Image via state Sen. Adam Ebbin