City Council members, Ed Rendell, and others wrote to support Johnny Doc before his sentencing. Here’s what they said.

Hundreds of John Dougherty’s colleagues, family, friends, and neighbors have written to the judge who will sentence him Thursday for his bribery and embezzlement convictions. The 246 letters urge U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to consider the immeasurable impact the former labor leader has had on his community and argue that a lengthy prison term would cause more harm than good.

The list of letter writers includes members of his union — Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers — a former governor, an ex-member of Congress, and other bold-faced names such as Sister Mary Scullion of project HOME, Termini Bros. co-founder Vincent Termini Sr., the city’s GOP chair Vincent Fenerty, Jr., and City Councilmembers Mark Squilla and Jim Harrity.

» READ MORE: With sentencing looming, labor leader John Dougherty asks for leniency citing his commitment to his union and community

Each spoke of Dougherty’s commitment to union workers, the city of Philadelphia, his family and, above all, his ailing wife, Cecilia, who suffers from a brain injury that requires round-the-clock medical care.

Here’s a look at what they had to say:

The reams of letters also feature dozens of endorsements from clergy, lawyers, childhood friends and Dougherty’s longtime South Philadelphia neighbors, all vouching for a family man they described as always putting others before himself — paying for funerals, organizing volunteer efforts, and working tirelessly to better his community.

“I love my neighborhood and thanks to Doc it not only survives but continues to thrive,” Dougherty’s 74-year-old former neighbor said in a hand-written letter. “I would have to write a book to explain how much good he has done for old timers like myself and young people like my grandchildren … Bottom line: John is a very good man that has done so much good in his life.”

Several discussed Dougherty’s personal intervention to assist Local 98 members battling substance use disorder.

“To put it bluntly, and with no exaggeration, John and his network saved my son’s life,” wrote the mother of one union member.

Another common thread among the letters to the judge: Dougherty’s unwavering care to his wife, Cecelia, who requires intensive medical care.

“[Dougherty] is the only one who knows and understands every nuance of her care because he has dedicated the past 6 years of his life to learning every detail involved in her life sustaining medical regiment,” wrote Christine Pluta, one of Cecelia Dougherty’s doctors. “It has become clear to me that, despite all of the skilled medical personnel involved in Cecelia’s care, her husband, John, is the reason she remains alive with quality of life.”

“My biggest fear,” wrote Dougherty’s younger sister, Maureen Fiocca, “is that not only does John get to hear his fate, but his wife, Cecelia will learn of her fate also.”

But in their own memo to the judge last week, prosecutors urged the judge to send Dougherty to prison for up to 14 years and had this to say about all the laudatory descriptions of his stature in his community: “No good deeds can outweigh the damage done by Dougherty’s betrayal of the members who paid his salary … the harm to the public’s confidence in government caused by his bribery of [former City Councilmember] Bobby Henon.”

» READ MORE: Prosecutors will seek up to 14 years for labor leader Johnny Doc at his sentencing next week on bribery and embezzlement charges

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday in Reading.