Ellwood City treasure: Judge Debra Todd named first female chief justice of the PA Supreme Court
Editor's Note: This story was updated Oct. 7, 2022, to correct Chief Justice Max Baer's first name.
ELLWOOD CITY – Borough residents are excited for hometown hero Judge Debra McCloskey Todd, who now is the first female chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, but the celebrations are on hold for now.
Todd assumed the post after the Oct. 1 death of 74-year-old Chief Justice Max Baer because she was the longest continuously serving member of the court. She was expected to take the role in January upon his retirement, but her time came sooner with Baer's death.
But now is a time of mourning, not celebration, Todd said in a phone interview with The Ellwood City Ledger, her hometown newspaper. She said this would be the only interview she would be doing out of respect for Baer's family.
"I want all the focus to be on the Baer family as his sudden death was a shock to his family, to everyone," Todd said. "He was in good health and was planning on retiring in December, and at that time I would have become the chief justice."
She said all of the celebrations are on hold until Jan 20, 2023, when her official ceremony will be held in Pittsburgh.
Todd is grateful for all the support she has received over the years from the Ellwood City area. The 1975 Lincoln High School graduate was honored as an "Ellwood City historical treasure" at a Sept. 16, 2019, event and had the day named after her in the borough.
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"Ellwood City will always be my home; it is always in my heart," Todd said. "I have so many wonderful friends there and I am grateful."
Todd's friends and supporters say they are proud of the hometown lady who is now the chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Everett Bleakney, president of the Ellwood City Area Historical Society, said she is the perfect person for her position.
Bleakney knew the McCloskey family, parents Harry, a steelworker, and Blanche, a homemaker, because they lived next door in Wayne Township.
Harry and Bleakney shared a ride to work at J&L in Aliquippa. Bleakney describes the family as a hard-working, well-educated, blue-collar family.
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He said he knew her sisters, Mary and Nancy, better as they were closer to his age, but his wife, Gerry, said she has lots of memories of Todd as a little girl.
"Debbie was this darling little blonde girl just bouncing around the yard," she said.
The McCloskey family moved to Park Avenue; the house where they lived is gone and now is the Calvin Church parking lot.
In the 2019 ceremony hosted by the historical society, many people, including several from her graduating class, shared their memories.
Ellwood City Mayor Anthony Court, a classmate of Todd's, said the community is proud of her accomplishments.
"She will do exceptionally well, as she always does," he said.
After Lincoln High School, Todd graduated from Chatham College in 1979, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1982 and from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2004. She has expressed her gratitude for Ellwood City attorney James Keller and his wife and chief clerk, Beverly, who took her under their wing and taught her the joys of law.
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Todd served as a litigation attorney for U.S. Steel Corp. from 1982-87, had a private law practice from 1987-99, was elected judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court in 1999 and, in 2008, Todd was the second woman elected to Pennsylvania's Supreme Court, which was formalized in 1722, making it the oldest court of its type in the nation.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Ellwood City native Judge Debra Todd named first female chief justice of the PA Supreme Court
