The mayor of Lander, Wyoming, died unexpectedly Wednesday morning, the city says.
Mayor Monte Richardson had served as mayor since 2019 after he was elected to the position in 2018. He was also a council member for many years.
“His contributions to Lander are immeasurable, and his legacy will endure through the countless lives he touched,” said a statement the City of Lander released Wednesday. “Known for his kindness, generosity and unwavering devotion for the community, he will be deeply missed.”
The Lander City Council will hold a special council meeting Tuesday at 7 at the City Council Chambers to appoint a Mayor Pro Tem and discuss the filling of the vacancy and any potential, subsequent City Council vacancies, says another statement released Wednesday afternoon.
Richardson weathered the COVID-19 pandemic during his years as mayor.
He expanded the parks system and was instrumental in upgrading streets, sewers, city buildings and other infrastructure, City Council Member John Larsen told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.
Richardson had “done wonders for the financial health of the city,” said Larsen, adding that the mayor was a “good guy” and will be missed.
Come Say A Kind Word
Rajean Strube-Fossen was Richardson’s assistant mayor through all six years of his tenure.
“Monte had a kind heart with room for everyone,” Strube-Fossen told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.
She said she and others are setting up a memorial in the City Hall front lobby, where people can leave a token or say kind words.
Longtime Lander resident and Cowboy State Daily columnist Bill Sniffin remembers Richardson as a "true gentlemen who just plain loved people.
"He was always unselfish in trying to help Lander and its citizens," Sniffin added.
Sniffin relayed a statement from his grandson Wolf Johnson, a recent University of Wyoming graduate.
Johnson knew Richardson when he was just 6 years old, as a school custodian who would give high-fives, "fake wrestle" the kids and make them laugh.
Once Richardson was mayor, he'd still tease and catch up with Johnson, offering kindness to him and others.
"As a janitor and as a mayor, he had remarkable character, good humor, and always moved with people in good faith," Johnson said. "He was a friend and leader for people of all ages in my hometown; he was someone who embodied the things that made Lander, Lander."
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
