McCaffery, Seamus
Politics & Public Services
Irish-born, military veteran (U.S. Marine Corps) former Philadelphia police officer, judge in the Court of Common Pleas, now a judge for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court - it's a classic American Dream story of achievement through hard work. Judge Seamus McCaffery was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1950, to Seamus and Rita McCaffery. When he was five, Seamus immigrated to America with his parents and siblings.
The family settled in Philadelphia and grew to include Seamus' three brothers and three sisters, all of whom remain in Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Seamus' formative years were heavily influenced by the values of his ethnic, working-class parents, who stressed a strong work ethic, giving back to the community, loyalty to family and to America. As an immigrant, Seamus took these values to heart, and after graduating from Cardinal Dougherty High School in 1968 he joined the United States Marine Corps. After leaving active duty, he joined the Philadelphia Police Department, where he spent 20 years.
During this time, Seamus raised three sons: Sean, Jim and Brian. Sean is a member of the Philadelphia Police SWAT unit, Jim is an FBI agent, and Brian is a recent graduate of Temple University School of Law. All three of Seamus' sons are married to schoolteachers, and Seamus is the proud and devoted grandfather of two beautiful granddaughters. Seamus and his wife, Lise Rapaport, live in Northeast Philadelphia.
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