A former giant of Philadelphia politics has died.
Longtime City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski was 79 years old.
Krajewski, famous for her fiestiness, gravely voice and willingness to speak her mind, served from 1980 until she retired last year.
Mayor Michael Nutter remembered Krajewski as "straightforward and honest, sometimes brutally so, lawmaker and friend.
"She was a person whose word you could really trust," Nutter said. "I very much admired her record of service to the City and in particular how she served her constituents in the 6th Council District who will miss her"
She represented the 6th district in Northeast Philly.
Council President Darrell Clarke remembered his former colleague.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
“Joan was a great champion of Northeast Philadelphia,” Clarke said in a statement. “She was an unfailingly supportive colleague. And more importantly, she was my friend.
“Our friendship began well before I was elected to office. The unsung, lowly staffer did not exist in Joan’s world. She treated City Hall employees as equals. Joan took the time to get to know everyone she encountered here, no matter their position or station.
“But Joan also was tough as nails. She was one of the most effective Council members in recent memory. The skill with which she leveraged her office to deliver for constituents and for the 6th District was masterful.
“I hope what Philadelphians remember most about Joan is she was a genuinely caring, warm, good human being...”
Krajewski was ill recently, according to friends, and suffered from breathing problems.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
