It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry after his brave fight with stomach cancer.
Born in Indianapolis, the Henry family moved to Fort Wayne where Mayor Henry would spend the rest of his life trying to make a difference in his community. Henry was elected to the Fort Wayne City Council as the 3rd District representative in November 1983. He served for 20 years on council until losing the 2003 election.
Henry took office in January 2008 as Fort Wayne’s mayor and became the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history. One of his main focuses was downtown development. Henry wrote that his decision to run for mayor came from a desire to keep Fort Wayne a place where people want to raise their children and stay after they grow up. “I believe that we are a city on the move,” he wrote. “A place filled with people who give their best every day. A front-porch community that understands what it takes to be a world-class competitor.”
The City of Fort Wayne has lost a pillar of our community. A man who cared deeply for his friends, family, neighbors, and for the future of many generations to come.
“Mayor Henry was a man of the highest character – a true servant leader who devoted his entire adult life to the betterment of Fort Wayne and its residents. He was also the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. We, his family, mourn the loss of Tom with the rest of our community, but we also take great comfort in knowing that he is once again with his beautiful Cindy who passed away from cancer just two months ago.
We thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers, but also ask for privacy as we grieve Tom’s passing and celebrate his extraordinary life and legacy.”
-Henry Family Statement