Tom Henry, the longtime mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, died from late-stage stomach cancer on Thursday at the age of 72 after he suffered a medical emergency from the cancer on Wednesday night.
Henry’s family said he died at his home in Indiana and had been placed in hospice after the medical emergency. Henry was in his fifth term as the city’s mayor at the time of his death.
“Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry passed away peacefully Thursday, March 28, 2024, after experiencing a medical emergency related to his cancer,” Henry’s family said in a statement. “In the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 27, Mayor Henry was privately transported to a local hospital at which time he and his family consulted at length with medical professionals including his oncologist. After careful consideration of the risks associated with surgical intervention, Mayor Henry opted for comfort measures. He died peacefully surrounded by his loving family.”
His death comes just one month after he announced the cancer diagnosis and two months after his wife, Cindy, died of pancreatic cancer.
The Democratic mayor was considered a staple in Fort Wayne politics, having served as the mayor since 2008. Before his tenure as mayor, Henry spent 20 years as a city councilman from 1984-2004.
“Any words of sadness or condolences regarding the passing of Mayor Henry are inadequate,” Fort Wayne Councilman Russ Jehl said in a statement. “As a community, we have suffered an unmeasurable loss. The City of Fort Wayne has flourished immensely while he shepherded it and his accolades are numerous and well-deserved …I mourn with the Henry family and our community as we not only grieve the passing of our Mayor, but our City’s visionary.”
Fort Wayne is considered the second most populous city in Indiana, with a population of nearly 270,000 people in the 2022 census.
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Henry is survived by his two children, Elizabeth and Benjamin, and four grandchildren.
Details on his burial and memorial services are expected in the coming days.
