Former Lynn Mayor McManus dies at age 54

(Joanne Rathe/The Boston Globe/File/2001)

McManus in his city office in 2001.

By Kathy McCabe, Globe Staff

Former Lynn mayor Patrick J. McManus, 54, who last month announced he would run again for mayor of this North Shore city, was found dead in his Baltimore Street home Friday after being stricken while working in his home office, Lynn police said.

A cause of death is not yet known, but the case was turned over to the state medical examiner's office for investigation, police said. "In an unattended death, where there is no serious medical history, the medical examiner's office routinely takes jurisdiction," said Lynn Deputy Police Chief Kenneth Santoro. A call to the medical examiner's office was not immediately returned on Friday.

Lynn police and emergency medical services responded to a 911 call to McManus's home at about 9:28 a.m., Santoro said. "He was pronounced dead at the scene," he said.

McManus served as mayor for 10 years, from 1992 until 2002. He announced last month that he would run for a new term as mayor, challenging incumbent Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr. McManus had recently returned nomination papers with enough signatures to qualify for the Sept. 15 primary election, according to the city's election office.

But once a death certificate is received, McManus's name will be removed from the ballot, officials said. A flag outside Lynn City Hall was lowered to half-staff late yesterday morning. The Lynn Democratic City Committee announced on Friday that it would postpone its annual summer gathering, originally scheduled for Sunday, due to McManus's sudden death.