Scaife was the grand-nephew of banker and business tycoon Andrew Mellon. (Paul Thompson, Creative Commons)

Scaife gained notoriety in the 1990s for his criticism of the Clinton Administration and hefty donations to libertarian and conservative causes.

Regardless of public opinions of him (of which there are many), Scaife deserves credit for his candor in his last days. Less than two months before his death, Scaife announced - in a first-person, front-page story in his own Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - that he had an untreatable form of cancer.

"Some who dislike me may rejoice at the news," Scaife wrote. "Naturally, I can't share their enthusiasm."

A private memorial service will be held for Scaife at a later date.

Read more at CBS News.

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