(C) Daily Montanan This story was originally published by Daily Montanan and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Missoula Mayor John Engen dies of pancreatic cancer – Daily Montanan [1] ['Keith Schubert', 'More From Author', '- August'] Date: 2022-08-15 Missoula mayor John Engen died from pancreatic cancer Monday at age 57. Engen was first elected as mayor in 2005 and stayed in that position until his death on Monday, making him the city’s longest-serving mayor. Missoula City Council Chair Gwen Jones is serving as acting mayor. The city first announced Engen’s diagnosis in early March, and Engen won his fifth election in November with 62 percent of the vote. Monday, other community, state and national leaders mourned his passing. “Our hearts are heavy with the news of Mayor Engen’s passing. John was our colleague in leading this community, but more importantly, he was our friend. He led Missoula with kindness, compassion and humor. Everything he did, every decision he made, was in the interest of making his hometown a better place. We will miss him dearly,” Missoula County Commissioners Juanita Vero, Josh Slotnick and Dave Strohmaier said in a joint statement. Engen served one term on the Missoula City Council prior to becoming mayor. He was born in Missoula in 1964 and is a graduate of the University of Montana. “John was one of the kindest, funniest and most thoughtful people I have ever worked with,” said former Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, in a press release from the city announcing Engen’s death. “He dedicated his life to serving the town where he was born and raised, and he went to work every day with a vision of how a great place could be even better. He was bold in leadership, thoughtful in approach, fiercely loyal and steadfast in his determination to make life better for every member of his community. Missoula and all of Montana lost a legend today.” Current Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, wrote on Twitter: “With a Treasure State-sized heart for his hometown, Mayor Engen served his community for decades. The city of Missoula and the state today lost a giant. We’re praying for his loved ones and the people he served.” In the press release, city spokesperson Ginny Merriam said Engen often said his greatest accomplishment was securing ownership of Missoula’s water system for its people in 2017. Merriam also touted Engen’s belief that recreational and cultural infrastructure were crucial to economic development, and she noted Engen was a champion of nonprofits who believed partnerships between local government and the city residents made Missoula a better place for all. Susan Hay Patrick, CEO of United Way of Missoula County, noted Engen was a sought-after figure at fundraisers. He was known for his wit. “John Engen exemplified caring for community, both as Missoula’s mayor and as a lifetime resident who understood that our community is stronger when we all do our part to help others,” said Hay Patrick in the release. “In John’s own words, he always enjoyed getting great work done with really smart people, whether it was through local government or arm-in-arm with nonprofits. He was a giver, a volunteer and an advocate. That showed whether he was serving meals at the Poverello Center, serving on boards of directors of causes he believed in or raising thousands of dollars for nonprofits as Missoula’s most popular charity auctioneer.” Missoula resident and national social media profile Hank Green called Engen a friend and said he learned a lot from him. “Engen taught me a bunch of stuff, but particularly he shaved down some of my cynicism by just doing the work of leading where I could see it being done,” he wrote on Twitter. Politicians from around the state also shared their condolences. Democrat U.S. Sen. Jon Tester sent out a statement: “Montana lost a great leader today. Mayor Engen was a visionary who paired a quick wit with an ability to work with people to lead Missoula. He was incredibly smart and worked his tail off, and above all, he was a dear friend who will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.” Western congressional district candidate Democrat Monica Tranel of Missoula said: “I learned so much about what public service means from Mayor Engen. His duty and commitment to our home was inspiring and wonderful. His loss will be felt in Missoula and throughout Montana.” And Helena mayor Wilmot Collins tweeted: “I’m deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my good friend, Mayor John Engen—who was a role model for so many across our state, including myself. I learned a lot about leadership from Mayor Engen and I know that the city of Missoula will sorely miss the leader in him.” [END] --- [1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2022/08/15/missoula-mayor-john-engen-dies-of-pancreatic-cancer/ Published and (C) by Daily Montanan Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/montanan/