People walked by the Thomas M. Menino YMCA in Hyde Park and spoke of how much he meant to them.
The facility that now bears his name was the Y Menino went to as a young boy and was dedicated to him shortly before he left office. He grew up in the area and went to after school programs there. A spokesperson said he had a picture on his desk of that dedication.
“It’s a very sad day but he is a great man and he will be greatly missed,” one man said.
“They said he was a mayor, basically for all over in Massachusetts. He was a really great, great guy. No one can fill his shoes,” another said.
“We first knew him through hockey. His boy played with our boys. He was just a wonderful man,” one person said.
A spokesperson said Menino was important to the Y, understood its importance to working families, and he championed making the Y available for after-school programs.