Former mayor Richard Berkley 'always had Kansas City's best interests in mind'

Richard Berkley, who served as Kansas City mayor from 1979 until 1991, died Wednesday at the age of 92. Berkley was the longest-serving and first Jewish mayor of Kansas City.
Former Kansas City mayor Richard Berkley, who served three terms in office, died Wednesday. He was 92.

Berkley served from 1979 until 1991. Perhaps most well known for his swift response to the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse in 1981, he also oversaw a period of growth in Kansas City.

Dave Helling, a former reporter and editorial writer for the Kansas City Star, covered Berkley's tenure.

"He was the last of a breed of mayor in Kansas City, who was much more of a facilitator than he was an instigator," Helling said.