biographical statement

Thomas C. Petrone served the 27th District, part of Allegheny County, as a Democrat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1981-2008. Born in 1937, Mr. Petrone was educated at Crafton High School and Carnegie Tech and Pittsburgh Playhouse. He then served in the United States Navy from 1956-1958. Before serving in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Mr. Petrone worked on David Lawrence's gubernatorial campaign in 1959. In 1980, Mr. Petrone defeated one-term incumbent Richard Chess and began serving as a State Representative in 1981.

During his tenure at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Mr. Petrone served on the Aging and Youth Committee from 1991-1992; the Appropriations Committee from 1987-1992 (Subcommittee Chair on Health and Welfare from 1991-1992); the Finance Committee from 1983-1990 (Vice Chair from 1987-1990); the Game and Fisheries Committee from 1981-1992 (Secretary from 1985-1986); the Labor Relations Committee from 1981-1986 (Secretary from 1985-1986); the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee from 1987-1992; the State Government Committee from 1984-1986; and the Urban Affairs Committee from 1993-2008 (Chair). Legislatively, Mr. Petrone worked on issues such as PACE, real estate assessments, removal of abandoned vehicles, loan forgiveness for mental health/mental retardation workers and drug and alcohol counselors, community revitalization, identity theft, and healthcare for volunteer firefighters. Mr. Petrone was also a member of the General Assembly's Joint Legislative Air and Water Control and Conservation Committee and served on the coal caucus and the firefighter caucus.

Mr. Petrone retired from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2008.

Mr. Petrone died on August 5, 2014 in Pittsburgh, PA. He was interred in the Resurrection Cemetery of Coraopolis, PA.

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