Michael A. O'Pake (February 2, 1940 – December 27, 2010) was an American politician who served as a
Democratic member of the
Pennsylvania State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...
for the
11th District
11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables.
Name
"Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...
from 1973 to 2010. He served as the Democratic Whip in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2010.
Early life and education
O'Pake was born on February 2, 1940,
in Reading, Pennsylvania to Michael E. and Anna M. O'Pake.
He graduated from
Reading Central Catholic High School
Reading Central Catholic High School (more completely, Monsignor Bornemann Memorial Central Catholic High School of Reading, Pennsylvania) was a small Roman Catholic high school located at 1400 Hill Road in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was in the Ro ...
in 1957.
He received an A.B. from
St. Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh olde ...
in 1961
and a J.D. from the
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (also known as Penn Law or Penn Carey Law) is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is among the most selective and olde ...
in 1964.
O'Pake was described as a devout Catholic.
Career
O'Pake was elected to the General Assembly of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts.
It ...
in 1968.
In 1972, O'Pake was elected to represent the 11th district in the Pennsylvania State Senate.
In November 2000, he was chosen as the Democratic Whip for the Pennsylvania State Senate. He was reelected to the Whip position for the 2011-2012 legislative term.
He served as the first chairman of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee and wrote the Child Protective Services law to help victims of child abuse.
Death
O'Pake died on December 27, 2010, at age 70, following complications suffered during heart bypass surgery.
In 2011,
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh olde ...
named their sports complex the O'Pake Recreational Center in O'Pake's honor.
References
External links
*''Follow the Money'' - Mike O'Pake
2006200420022000
campaign contributions
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Opake, Michael A.
1940 births
2010 deaths
19th-century American politicians
20th-century American politicians
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania lawyers
Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators
Politicians from Reading, Pennsylvania
Saint Joseph's University alumni
University of Pennsylvania alumni
University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni
20th-century American lawyers