Judge Cavanaugh was born in Philadelphia on August 26, 1931. He graduated from St. Joseph’s College in 1953 and the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1956. Judge Cavanaugh was a practicing attorney in Philadelphia for twelve years before being elected to the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in 1968.
Judge Cavanaugh was appointed to the Superior Court in 1979. He was retained in 1989 and 1999. Cavanaugh passed away at the age of 72 on July 13, 2004.
Judge Cavanaugh held many influential positions throughout his career: he served as chairman of the advisory committee of the Prisoner’s Family Welfare Association, counsel for the State Athletic Commission, and permanent secretary of the James Wilson Law Club. Additionally, Judge Cavanaugh served on the Governor’s Justice Commission and the Pennsylvania Board of Judicial Inquiry and Review.