Porirua city councillor Mike Duncan, who served for 10 years, has died.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker shared the news on social media on Sunday evening, saying Duncan's death had come as "a shock to us all".
"Our love and thoughts are with Mike’s loving whānau, who he cherished."
Duncan had first been elected as a councillor in 2016 and also made bids for the mayoralty in 2016 and 2019.
Baker said Duncan "worked diligently for his community and the city he grew up and raised his family in".
“The council table will simply not be the same without Mike’s insightful input, attention to detail, sense of humour and kind smile.
"You will be hugely missed, Mike. Moe mai rā."
Geoff Hayward, councillor for the Onepoto Ward, said he remembered Duncan for his "ridiculous Christmas jumpers", dad jokes, puns and "his uncanny ability to find a spelling mistake buried deep in a council report".
"Mike was a #Porirua boy through and through. He loved this city and spent years trying to make it better," he said in a post to Facebook.
"One of the most important lessons Mike ever gave me came in a private conversation about politics and public life. He reminded me to be kind to our colleagues. To play the ball, not the player."
Mana MP Barbara Edmonds described him as a "top dad, grandad, husband, and colleague".
"Such good and wise advice still to this day."
Earlier this year former Dunedin Mayor and sitting city councillor Jules Radich died.
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