Rob Ford, Former Toronto Mayor, Dies At 46 After Battle With Cancer

Rob Ford, the embattled former Toronto mayor, died Tuesday following a battle with an aggressive form of cancer. He was 46.

Rob Ford Dies

Ford died at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital, where he had been placed in palliative care. His passing was announced via a statement from his chief of staff Dan Jacobs.

“With heavy hearts and profound sadness, the Ford family announces the passing of their beloved son, brother, husband, and father, Councillor Rob Ford earlier today at the age of 46,” the statement reads. “A dedicated man of the people, Councillor Ford spent his life serving the citizens of Toronto.”

The statement continues, “The family asks that you respect their privacy and join them in their grieving and their prayers. The family will not be making any statements to the media or taking any questions. Information will follow at a later time regarding memorial services.”

In September 2014, it was announced that Ford was diagnosed with malignant liposarcoma that had spread from his abdomen to other areas of his body. As a result of the cancer diagnosis, Ford discontinued his run for re-election as Toronto’s mayor, but won re-election to the city council, representing Ward 2.

Ford became a household name in 2013 after he admitted to smocking crack cocaine when a video that had long been rumored to exist of the mayor indulging in the drug was finally turned over to police. A new incriminating video surfaced in 2014, leading Ford to head to rehab for alcohol abuse. While Ford initially blamed his drinking for his drug use, he later admitted that he also struggled with drug abuse.

Despite the many controversies that plagued his time as mayor, Ford had been seeking re-election when he discovered the tumor that led to his cancer diagnosis. Ford believed that, even with his many scandals, that his legacy would also include his accomplishments as a mayor.

“People know that I saved a lot of money, and people are going to know that I had a few personal struggles,” Ford said in 2014 in between chemotherapy treatments, reported the Toronto Star. “So you can remember it for what you want, but they’re definitely going to remember it.”

Ford is survived by his wife Renata, children Stephanie and Douglas, brothers Doug and Randy, sister Kathy, and mother Diane.