Former Mission mayor Abe Neufeld died during the early hours of Saturday morning (Feb. 18). He was 83.
Neufeld was a long-time Mission resident and received the Freedom of the City Award in 2007 to honour his legacy of distinguished community service.
In 1999, he was elected to the District of Mission council before he served as mayor from 2001 to 2005. Neufeld was previously the director of the Dewdney Alouette Regional District (the predecessor of the FVRD) for 11 years.
“Abe was a great example of a statesmanlike Mayor. He consistently showed tremendous respect for his colleagues on council, staff at the city, and for everyone he represented,” Mayor Paul Horn said. “Even when he and I disagreed on issues, he made it clear that he valued my feedback. I saw him do the same for many others. I try to follow his lead, and before I ever ran for mayor, I made sure to call him and seek his advice. He was a wise and generous leader for this community, and will be missed.”
“I was saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend Abe Neufeld. He and I connected frequently on many boards and committees over the years and I was privileged to have him serve as campaign manager for my successful campaign for MLA in 2013,” Simon Gibson said. “Abe had a wonderful sense of humor and a genuine ability to make everyone feel welcome. He was well known throughout the valley as a strong leader and will be missed by hundreds of friends and family members.”
Flags will be lowered to half-mast at civic facilities across Mission to mark his passing.
A celebration of life is scheduled for Feb. 27 at 11:30am at South Abbotsford Church.