Mark Patrick Flaherty, former Allegheny County controller, dies from covid complications

Mark Patrick Flaherty came from a well-known family of Democratic public servants.

His father served as an Allegheny County commissioner and a state Commonwealth Court judge. His uncle was Pittsburgh mayor, deputy attorney general and later a county commissioner.

It seemed inevitable then, that he would follow in their footsteps.

Flaherty, who served eight years as Allegheny County controller and ran unsuccessfully for Common Pleas Court last year, died Monday from complications of covid-19 at UPMC St. Margaret. He was 59.

Flaherty, who grew up in Mt. Lebanon and earned 13 varsity letters in three high school sports, attended Duke University in North Carolina, earning a degree in economics in 1984, said his brother, Michael Flaherty.

It wasn’t until the late 1990s that he decided to go to law school. Mark Flaherty graduated from Duquesne University School of Law in 2001, and practiced for a time with his brother.

Over the years, Mark Flaherty had worked behind the scenes on a variety of local and statewide political campaigns, his brother said, and found he had established relationships across Pennsylvania.

“When the position of controller came up, he said, ‘I’m going to give it a shot,’” his brother said. “We didn’t know what we were doing.”

Mark Flaherty, of Mt. Lebanon, ended up getting the Democratic endorsement and won the race. He served as Allegheny County controller from 2004 to 2012.

Allegheny County Treasurer John K. Weinstein said in a statement that Flaherty left an indelible mark on the county.

“He accomplished that which we should all aspire to: he leaves his community a better place thanks to his unwavering dedication and extraordinary kindness,” Weinstein said, adding that Flaherty fought tirelessly for taxpayers.

During his time as controller, Flaherty authored a study of county government that led to the restructuring of row offices, cutting them from 10 to four. In addition, he took pride in having cleaned up the assessment office and for serving eight years on the Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board.

He also created a minority- and woman-owned business program at the pension board and worked with Neighborhood Legal Services to help low-income people file federal tax returns.

Phil DiLucente, who became friends with Mark Flaherty in law school, served as special counsel for him in the controller’s office.

“I would continually bring him ideas or suggestions on how to deal with a situation, and the first question he would always pose to me was, ‘How does that benefit the public?’” DiLucente said. “He was the most undervalued asset in Allegheny County.”

He described his longtime friend as radiant, carefree, pragmatic and always thinking ahead.

“He always made people feel comfortable around him,” DiLucente said.

Mike Flaherty described his brother as pensive, mischievous and also a great listener.

“Mark never thought about himself one day,” he said. “He only wanted to be helpful to everyone.”

In his legal career, he practiced primarily in tax, finance and corporate law.

Mike Flaherty described his brother as an adventurer, noting that before law school, Mark Flaherty worked for a voting machine company. He had to deliver a voting machine to a location in Washington state, and he and their mom took a cross-country road trip.

Mark Flaherty was married to his wife, Anne, for more than 20 years, and they have a daughter, Deirdre, 16.

He took particular pride in being a “girl dad,” and loved traveling with her to softball tournaments all over the state, his brother said.

“He’s been an adventurer his whole life,” Mike Flaherty said.

In addition to his wife, daughter and brother, Mark Flaherty is survived by his mother, Katy Flaherty, of Avondale; sisters Mary Rita Flaherty of Mercersburg, Molly Flaherty of Avondale and Maureen Menton of Braintree, Mass.

Visitation will be held from 12 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at William Slater II Funeral Home at 1650 Greentree Road in Scott Township.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Michael the Archangel Parish - St. Bernard Church at 311 Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon. Burial will follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery at 2900 Washington Road in Peters Township.