How Did John Engen Die? Cause of death explained

Missoula’s longest-serving mayor, John Engen, died Monday of pancreatic cancer, according to city officials. He was 57.

Engen announced in March that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and a liver tumor after winning his fifth term in November 2021. Ginny Merriam, a city spokesperson, announced his death in a news release.

How Did John Engen Die?

According to the City of Missoula, Missoula Mayor John Engen died of pancreatic cancer on Monday, Aug. 15.

Engen was 57 years old when he passed away.

Engen was elected in 2005 and began his first term in January 2006, serving until his death. He was Missoula’s 50th mayor and the city’s longest-serving.

John Engen Cause of death

On Monday, John Engen, who rose from newspaper columnist to Missoula’s longest-serving mayor, died of pancreatic cancer.

As a result, Pancreatic Cancer was the Mayor of Missoula’s leading cause of death.

Who was John Engen?

Missoula Mayor John Engen died of pancreatic cancer on Monday, Aug. 15, according to the City of Missoula.

Engen was 57 years old when he passed away.

Engen was elected in 2005 and began his first term in January 2006, serving until his death.

He was Missoula’s 50th mayor, the longest serving.

The early life of John Engen

Education and the early years Engen was born in Missoula in 1964.

He attended Missoula public schools before earning a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Montana.

Tracy owns and operates a travel agency in Missoula.

The career of John Engen

Engen previously ran a small business, worked as a journalist and newspaper editor, and served on the Missoula City Council.

In 2013, Engen and the City of Missoula began a legal process to use eminent domain to force the city’s privately owned water utility to be sold to the city.

After a 10-day trial, the Fourth Judicial District Court determined in June 2015 that the City of Missoula has the jurisdiction to exercise eminent domain to acquire Mountain Water Co.

The verdict was appealed to the Montana Supreme Court, which upheld the district court’s order on August 2, 2016.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Engen backed Barack Obama.

Engen came under fire after the city council authorized morbid obesity operations in city health insurance coverage in 2015.

Engen initially refused to speak to local media about his role in the relocation or how it would benefit him.

Later that year, Engen again declined media interviews, instead issuing a statement informing the public that he had bariatric surgery on October 19 and was recovering at home.

He admitted that all but $3,200 of his surgery costs were covered by insurance, but he dismissed critics by claiming that his procedure “would not contribute to anyone’s tax bill.”

In October 2016, Engen took a month off from work to attend an alcohol addiction treatment center.

Tributes to Mayor John Engen

Former Gov. Steve Bullock said in a release from the City of Missoula, “John was one of the kindest, funniest, and most thoughtful people I have ever worked with.” “He devoted his life to serving the town where he was born and raised, and he went to work every day with a vision of how an already wonderful place could be even better.”

He was fearless in his leadership, thoughtful in his approach, fiercely loyal, and unwavering in his determination to improve the lives of all members of his community. Today, Missoula and Montana lost a legend.”

“John left Missoula in better shape than he found it,” Tracy Stone-Manning, director of the federal Bureau of Land Management and long-time Missoula conservationist, said in a press release issued by the city.

“He understood that the open space surrounding our town – which is open to everyone thanks in large part to his leadership – is not only critical to Missoula’s economy but also a fundamental part of who we are as Missoulians. He left us far, far too soon, but his service will be felt for generations to come.”

“John Engen exemplified caring for the community, both as Missoula’s mayor and as a lifetime resident who understood that our community is stronger when we all do our part to help others,” Susan Hay Patrick, CEO of United Way of Missoula County, said in a statement issued by the city. “In John’s own words, he always enjoyed doing great work with really smart people, whether through local government or working side by side with nonprofits.”

He was a giver, a volunteer, and a campaigner. That was evident whether he was serving meals at the Poverello Center, serving on boards of directors for causes he was passionate about, or raising thousands of dollars for nonprofits as Missoula’s most popular charity auctioneer.”

John Engen was a man of great humor and wisdom who served the city he loved with honor right to the end. I know he would have appreciated the choice of Gwen Jones as Acting Mayor. Here’s hoping she runs for the office.

— Mike Kinsella (@wormdwb) August 15, 2022