Boston City Councilor Brian Honan, a Democrat who represented the neighborhoods of Allston and Brighton, died on July 30. He was 39.
After undergoing extensive surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his bile duct, Honan seemed to be recovering. However, four days after the surgery, he collapsed in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital due to complications.
The hospital is currently conducting investigations into the cause of Honan’s death, which was originally deemed the result of an aneurysm.
Honan was campaigning for Suffolk District Attorney and attributed his exhaustion prior to the diagnosis to long days and an arduous schedule.
City councilors and other political figures and friends said they were shocked by his death.
“Brian was an esteemed colleague, a talented public servant and more importantly a dear friend to all of us,” said City Council President Michael Flaherty.
Honan was generally well liked and respected by both his constituents and fellow politicians, according to those who gathered at City Hall the night of his death to mourn.
An Allston native, Honan focused on causes directly affecting the citizens of his district, such as affordable housing and labor.
He also sat on the City Council Environment and Historic Preservation, Housing and University-Community Relations subcommittees.
To help ease the housing crisis in the Allston-Brighton area exacerbated by Boston University and Boston College students who move off campus and cause rent prices to skyrocket, Honan, a BC alumnus, encouraged both colleges to increase on-campus housing facilities.
“He was a very attentive city councilor,” said Bill Marchione, president of the Brighton-Allston Historical Society. “As a lifelong resident of the Allston-Brighton neighborhood, he identified strongly with common people.”
Honan was also supportive of historic preservation goals, Marchione said. “He appeared at hearings and spoke the concept of an architectural conservation district.”
More than 1,000 people attended Honan’s funeral on Aug. 8. His brother, state Rep. Kevin Honan (D-Boston), delivered a eulogy to the crowd, which included State Attorney General Thomas Reilly and gubernatorial candidate and former state senator from Allston-Brighton Warren Tolman.
“We must leave here today with spirit, strength, faith and optimism knowing that the causes he championed are now ours to carry on,” Kevin Honan said, according to the Allston-Brighton Tab.
The City Council set the preliminary special election to fill Honan’s seat for Nov. 12; the final election will be on Dec. 10.
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