From the SF Chronicle:

Leo T. McCarthy, the son of an Irish bar owner who rose to become speaker of the California Assembly for six years and lieutenant governor for a record 12 years, died Monday of a kidney ailment. McCarthy, 76, died at his San Francisco home with his wife and children present.

A fixture in city and state politics for more than 30 years, McCarthy was elected to the San Francisco’s board of supervisors in 1963, won an Assembly seat five years later and became speaker in 1974. He ended his political career in 1994 after three serving three terms as lieutenant governor. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 1988 and 1992.

McCarthy was, from what I’ve been told by legislators at the time, quite the force of nature.  While he was ultimately weakened by his speakership fight with Howard Berman and Willie Brown, he remained in politics for quite a while. 

I, and I’m comfortable saying this,and everybody here at Calitics wishes the McCarthy family the best.