Paul N. “Pete” McCloskey, a decorated Korean War combat marine who beat celebrity Shirley Temple to win a seat in Congress representing the Peninsula and South Bay in the late 1960s, then became the first Republican in the House to call for Richard Nixon’s resignation and co-chair of the first Earth Day, died Wednesday. He was 96.
McCloskey, a colorful, contrarian figure for generations, died at his house in Winters, in rural Yolo County, of congestive heart failure.
Throughout his life, McCloskey was known as someone who put principle over politics, even when it ruffled feathers. He was a prominent member of what today is nearly an extinct breed in Congress — a liberal Republican.
McCloskey also was a champion of environmental issues, who saw his work as a continuum of the conservation efforts of former President Teddy Roosevelt.
He was co-chairman of the first Earth Day in 1970 with Sen. Gaylord Nelson, a Wisconsin Democrat, a strong supporter of passing the Endangered Species Act in 1973, and in later life an advocate for opening Martins Beach in San Mateo County to the public after it was closed by billionaire Vinod Khosla.
“He stood for everyone without a voice, and was especially passionate about our environment — he was afraid of nothing or anyone who sought to take advantage of another,” said Joe Cotchett, his law partner since 2004. “He was the epitome of a leader, as demonstrated throughout his entire life.”
The story will be updated