Joe Anderson, the mayor pro tem of Englewood, Colorado, south of Denver, has sadly passed away at the age of 45. His death came suddenly while hiking on one of Colorado's highest mountains on Friday, August 28.
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According to The Denver Gazette, Anderson was struggling to breathe during the hike, eventually losing consciousness.
"The Summit County Sheriff's Office responded to the lower slopes of Quandary Peak around 6:40 a.m. Friday to reports of an unconscious hiker who had stopped breathing," the Denver Gazette reports. "Authorities did not release the hiker's name but reported that he had died at the scene."
Once the news of Anderson's death became public, tributes began to pour in. Othoniel Sierra, the mayor of Englewood, was among the first to release a statement.
"We are all shocked and saddened at the sudden passing of our friend and council member, Joe Anderson," Sierra said. "Joe was always there to lend a hand, whether it was in his role as friend, neighbor, pastor or council member. ... This is a tremendous loss for our city and our heart goes out to his family and friends during this time of loss."
Anderson became mayor pro tem in 2023 and was set to conclude his term in 2027.
More Tributes for Joe Anderson Have Poured In
Shortly after Sierra's statement on Anderson's passing, Shawn Lewis, the outgoing city manager, also paid tribute to the late politician.
"He cared for me and other staff members as people, asking to pray over me when my parents were hospitalized during COVID and making a point to check in on me personally when city issues were particularly hard," Lewis said, via Denver Gazette. "I'll never forget the kindness and care he showed to me and I know so many others throughout his time on council."
Currently, Anderson's cause of death hasn't been revealed and will eventually be determined by the coroner. Therefore, no further information regarding the incident or what led to it has been made public.
Furthermore, no information regarding Anderson's funeral or celebration of life has been released. Those details will likely remain private to family and close friends.
