PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Officials stood out on the steps of City Hall on Thursday to pay their respects to former Mayor Paul Brindle III as his funeral procession passed by.   

 

"First and foremost, I share my deepest sympathies with the Brindle family. Mayor Brindle, a native of Pittsfield and Air Force Veteran, dedicated many years of service to Pittsfield government," Mayor Peter Marchetti said in a statement. 

 

"Mayor Brindle was a successful businessperson as the owner of Nel's Restaurant. Even though I never had the opportunity to serve with him directly, Mayor Brindle served with genuine humility and a kind spirit.

 

"His reputation as a city councilor, council president and mayor was as a collaborator, always searching to find common ground. His contributions to this community will always be remembered."

 

Brindle was a two-term mayor, serving from 1976 to 1980.

 

Brindle was born on Nov. 10, 1938, and died on July 28, just three months short of his 70th wedding anniversary with his high school sweetheart, the former Marijane Burke.

 

According to his obituary, Brindle proudly lived on the West Side his entire life, playing on local ball teams as a youth and with St. Joseph High School's varsity football and baseball teams.

 

Just three days after his final game of the season against Pittsfield, Brindle traded in his sports uniform for a different one, heading off to basic training after enlisting in the Air Force, the obituary said. 

 

Upon his return to civilian life, he owned the Nel's Rosa Restaurant on North Street and later Eagle Street, and his work as a meter reader, purchasing and gas supervisor at Berkshire Gas Co., during which he later became the chief union organizer.

 

In 1970, Brindle won the Ward 6 city councilor seat representing the West Side and six years later was elected the 28th mayor of Pittsfield.

 

After his time as mayor, he worked at General Electric Co., then with children at Hillcrest Educational Center.

 

"With many people retiring at that age, he had no intention of not working anymore and this opportunity was something he relished … He always felt that he could help some of these kids to understand that they mattered and life would be better for them at some point," the obituary said. 

 

In early 2015, he became a senior veteran outreach coordinator at Solider On, a role he filled until his death.