Richard Egan, 1936—2009

Richard Egan had a net worth of approximately $1.3 billion and a really bad attitude. A former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Egan killed himself on August 28th by locking himself in a linen closet at his home in Boston, then shooting himself in the face with a shotgun.

He was appointed ambassador to Ireland in 2001 by President George W. Bush, and was one of the worst Presidential butt-kissers to be cynically handed the Dublin gig, which the White House throws at whichever vaguely-Irish business person has helped the President get elected.

Thus Egan:

The GOP stalwart hosted a bash in June 2003 at his Hopkinton home, featuring then-Vice President Dick Cheney, where Bay State Republicans ponied up $1.4 million to help re-elect former President George W. Bush, who appointed him ambassador to Ireland.

So why do I mention Egan?

While he was Ambassador to Ireland, the Sept. 11th attacks happened. Ambassador Egan went to a Sinn Fein annual convention soon after the attacks. In terms of the nudge-nudge-fudge-wink-blink Irish Peace Process, Egan's presence at the convention meant that although the U.S. was going after terrorists everywhere in its ridiculous "dead-or-alive" costume, the soon-to-be-politicians terrorists of the IRA could rely on an open ear at the White House.

Egan hated Ireland and stayed in the job only 15 months. He was the 'E' in data storage giant EMC. Latterly he suffered from stage IV (terminal) lung cancer. I am sure someone loved him but I think the shabby, quick exit with the shotgun in a linen closet quite fitting for this "GOP stalwart."

A linen closet! Many Americans sleep under bridges.