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New York Governor Kathy Hochul's father John Courtney recently passed away due to brain hemorrhage on October 18, 2023, at the age of 87. Hochul was in Israel when she received the news and she left a note at a limestone crack of the Western Wall the following day.
Hochul paid tribute to her father, saying that she would pray for him and he "cherished his visit to this Holy Land." The letter also stated:
"As I stand at this holy site, I pray that the arc of the universe bend toward justice, and may God continue to protect us and guide us to a peaceful, violence-free future. I pray for the victims of the Hamas attack on Israel, their families and all the innocent civilians lost as a result."
Hochul later met the families whose members were killed and kidnapped by Hamas. She had visited some of the places affected by the Hamas attacks until now.
Hochul was wearing a bulletproof jacket while she was in Israel and as per the New York Times, she said:
"I will live the rest of my life seared with the knowledge of what happened in this place; but shame on all of us, as this civilized world versus the uncivilized world, if we ever forget this either."
Kathy Hochul is a member of a big Irish family
According to Kathy Hochul's website, she grew up in an Irish Catholic family in South Buffalo. The Irish Echo states that Kathy's grandparents were from a village in Kerry and they first met in the American Midwest. They came to America in 1919.
Kathy's grandparents then came to Buffalo, New York where they tied the knot. Kathy once revealed more details about her parents in an article for the Irish Echo Newspaper and stated:
"From the migrant farms of South Dakota, to domestic servitude to Chicago and finally to a steel plant in Lackawanna, they suffered hardship like millions of immigrants before and after them, but ultimately lived the American dream."
She said that her grandparents' story was revealed to her by her father and this helped her to understand more about the Irish culture. Her family's long history of involvement in social causes served as another source of inspiration for her decision to enter politics.
Kathy Hochul's father ensured that she grew up surrounded by the Irish culture and Kathy has attempted to include the same in her extended family. The Irish Echo also revealed that she usually prepared Irish meals so that her family.
"I make what is an American version of an Irish dinner. Boiled corn beef, potatoes, and cabbage, carrots and soda bread. When I go back to Ireland, they just kind of laugh. It's not how they eat traditionally."
Kathy Hochul has been the governor of New York since 2021
Kathy Hochul joined as the governor of New York in 2021 and she was sworn in at the State Capitol, as per The New York Times. Hochul was appointed the same month when Andrew Cuomo resigned from the position.
The 65-year-old started her career in 2007 as an Erie County clerk. Before her political career, she supported many businesses and served as a member of the Hamburg Town Board for a long time.
