Former Colorado Springs Councilwoman Stephannie Fortune has died.

Former Mayor John Suthers, who left office June 6, issued a written statement Tuesday morning remembering her as “a great citizen of Colorado Springs.”

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“She had a servant’s heart and worked in a myriad of ways to improve our city, our state and our country. Through her involvement in federal, state and local government, and her work in higher education and for many nonprofits, she made a positive impact on so many people,” he said. “… She worked tirelessly on the council until she was physically unable to do so any longer.”

Fortune died at 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Pikes Peak United Way said in a lengthy statement on the group’s Facebook page. 

Fortune previously served on the organization’s board of directors.

She was a largely behind-the-scenes community leader whom the City Council appointed in January 2022 to represent Colorado Springs’ downtown and southwest corner. She filled the vacancy left by former Councilman Richard Skorman, who resigned his seat representing District 3 to focus on his businesses.

In November, Fortune announced she was diagnosed with leukemia. She finished her term and did not run for reelection in April.

Pikes Peak United Way in its statement recalled how Fortune’s battle with cancer “became a shared experience” for the community.

“Her untimely departure serves as a reminder to seize the day, embrace our loved ones and make a difference in whatever way we can,” the statement said.

City Council President Randy Helms on Tuesday opened the board’s regular meeting with a moment of silence to remember her.

“Stephannie was a champion for all things Colorado Springs,” Helms said in a brief statement. “During her time on City Council, she was a leader and vocal advocate for not only her District 3, but the entire city. We will miss her warm personality and compassionate leadership in always making Colorado Springs a better place every day. Our hearts go out to Stephannie’s husband, Kent, her family and loved ones.”

Helms said the news was “raw and emotional,” and promised the council would hold an event honoring Fortune when her husband, family and friends could attend “at a future date.”

Fortune and her husband recently celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary June 4, according to the statement from Pikes Peak United Way.

“They had a marriage like no other with the greatest mutual respect and admiration. Kent and her family were the source of her joy and she never took any of them for granted, seeing and hosting them regularly,” it said.

Mayor Yemi Mobolade spoke briefly at the council meeting and in a written statement remembered Fortune’s “deep and lasting” impact on the city.

“Through both her public and private service she made our city a better place to live. … Stephannie will always be one of the true champions of Colorado Springs and her example of goodness, strength and joy will live on through the many, many people she touched,” he said.

Fortune’s appointment to the council last year was controversial, as she had only moved into District 3 about two months prior. Residents called on the board to support candidates who had more experience and lived longer in the district.

About seven months after she was appointed, residents concerned about Fortune’s short tenure in the district attempted to recall her. They dropped the effort when she announced her cancer diagnosis. 

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Fortune brought extensive political experience to the dais.

She was part of President George H.W. Bush’s advance team; served as assistant director and legislative liaison for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; as executive director for University Partnerships and Public Policy at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs; as president of Governmental Affairs and Public Policy for the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber; as chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Jane Norton under Gov. Bill Owens; and as chief of staff to Rep. Scott McInnis, a Republican who represented Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District in the 1990s, among other roles, according to the statement from Pikes Peak United Way.

Fortune opened her business Spark and Soar in January 2019, coaching executive leaders, according to her LinkedIn webpage.

She had experience on many nonprofit boards, like Pikes Peak United Way, the Colorado Springs Conservatory, Pikes Peak Workforce Investment Board, the Girl Scouts of Colorado, Colorado Springs Leadership Institute and the Colorado Springs Chamber’s Center for Regional Advancement, as well as Care and Share and the YMCA.

With United Way, Fortune helped start Colorado Springs Promise, which provides life coaching to Harrison High School students and will be a part of the new Family Success Center that opened last year in the former Pikes Peak Elementary School.

She also worked on reopening the Westside Community Center in her district, Suthers said. The future of the center that provides classes, programs, services and hosts community groups had been fluid in recent years.

Last June, the city’s parks and recreation department resumed operations at the facility and in September it began operating as a public-private partnership, according to the city website.

Additionally, Fortune led the working group that laid the foundation for the City for Champions initiative, which included projects like the Olympic & Paralympic Museum, Weidner Field, Ed Robson Arena, the William Hybl Sports Medicine & Performance Center and the U.S. Air Force Academy Gateway Visitor Center.

“My hope is Stephannie’s life of public service will be an inspiration to others in our community,” Suthers said.

Pikes Peak United Way has established the Stephannie Finley Fortune JOY Scholarship fund to commemorate her life and celebrate her passion for public engagement, according to the organization’s website.

The scholarship “will support aspiring leaders who embody the values and vision that Stephannie embodied throughout her career,” the website states. It is open to people pursuing higher education.

People can donate to the scholarship fund online at ppunitedway.org.