Ralph J. Cappy, 65, former chief justice of Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH - Retired Pennsylvania Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy, 65, the reform-minded jurist who joined the Supreme Court at a low point in its history, died Friday night at his home in Pittsburgh.

Gov. Rendell said he was "shocked and saddened" by the death of Justice Cappy, a Democrat who retired in January 2008. Rendell called him one of Pennsylvania's finest public servants.

"Justice Cappy led the Supreme Court in deciding issues that have had a significant impact on the lives of every citizen," Rendell said in a statement. "It is not an exaggeration to say that actions taken under Ralph Cappy's leadership led directly to resolving Pennsylvania's medical-malpractice crisis."

The cause of death was unknown yesterday. Deputy Court Administrator Tom Darr said Justice Cappy recently had undergone surgery for blocked arteries.

Justice Cappy's death shocked his many friends and associates, who said they had known him to be an active man who enjoyed golfing and riding motorcycles.

He joined the high court in 1990 and worked to restore its reputation after years of concerns about corruption. Known by his peers as a pragmatic problem-solver, he pushed for changes including lobbyist disclosure, elimination of race and gender bias, and the reduction of medical-malpractice suits. He sought to modernize the courts, propelling the computerization of state court records. He was appointed chief justice in 2003.

Justice Cappy earned his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. He was chairman of the university's board of trustees, on which he had served since 1992.

Chancellor Mark Nordenberg said yesterday that Justice Cappy had been "totally committed to the university."

"His warm and welcoming personality defined him as a leader, made others eager to work with him, and stood at the center of his many friendships," Nordenberg said.

Justice Cappy's judicial career began when Gov. Milton Shapp appointed him to Allegheny County Court in 1978. Elected to a 10-year term in 1979, he was assigned to the court's criminal division.

"He was a mentor to all the young judges when he came on the bench," Allegheny County Judge Joseph James said. "Ralph took a lot of us under his wing and gave us direction. . . . Many times when you were looking for guidance, you could pick up the phone and call Ralph."

After serving in the family, criminal, and civil divisions, Justice Cappy was appointed administrative judge of the civil division, where he was hailed as an innovator in moving cases and handling the caseload. The post would serve as a springboard during his 1989 run for the Supreme Court.

In that bitter election, his Republican opponent, Montgomery County Judge Anita Brody, tried to portray Justice Cappy as soft on crime; he accused her of running a "slander and run" campaign. He won by more than 167,000 votes.

After a mostly quiet tenure on the Supreme Court, Justice Cappy caused an uproar when he advocated a controversial legislative pay raise in 2005 and said critics of the raises were having a "knee-jerk" reaction. A public outcry prompted lawmakers to repeal the raises for legislators, but Justice Cappy drew more flak when the court upheld the raises for the state's judges. Some critics thought it was a conflict of interest for justices to rule on their own salaries.

"In his tenure as chief justice, he fought very hard for all the judges in the state, at some sacrifice to himself," Allegheny County Judge Eugene B. Strassburger said. "He felt it was something that was needed."

Justice Cappy retired at 64, well before the mandatory age, saying he wanted to spend more time with family and pursue personal interests.

He is survived by his wife, Janet Fry Cappy; his son, Erik A. Fry; and a sister.

Ralph J. Cappy led the state Supreme Court from 2003 to 2008. Recently, he had surgery

for blocked arteries. Obituary, B12.