Hundreds Honor & Celebrate Late Mayor Steve Hogan
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - The late mayor of Aurora was memorialized on Saturday by hundreds of family and friends, including Gov. John Hickenlooper.
The public was invited to the service at the Heritage Christian Center to remember Steve Hogan and support his family.
Randy Stith, a friend, says Hogan always had a desire tom help people.
"He's one of the... I want to say kids, I probably was one too, who came out of the President Kennedy 60s believing that young people's jobs were to help change the world and he stuck with it," Stith said.
Hogan, originally of Lincoln, Nebraska, served the City of Aurora for more than 30 years after he served as a State Representative in 1975.
Many remembered Hogan for his ability to bring the community together during times of significant tragedy like the Aurora Theater Shooting. They said Hogan sought to achieve realistic compromises and was someone who spoke common sense.
His son, Tim, remembers fondly of family trips and dinners as well as tender moments he spent with his kids and grandkids.
"Even though he always had politics going on, he always tried to make time for us individually to make us feel special," Tim said.
He always made sure his family knew how much they meant to him. His son-in-law Marcus Packner remembers one of the last conversations he had with him.
"He said, 'I want to talk to you. I want to tell you how I loved you. I want to guide you. I want to tell you how proud I am of you.' And then he actually made some minor policy suggestions," remembered Packner.
Hogan lost his battle to cancer days after entering home hospice care.
Friends and family say Steve Hogan was both a family man and a public servant through and through and in both roles he was selfless.
"He thought in terms of what's good for Colorado, what's good for Aurora, what's good for the counties," Stith said.
"I'm sure he's running for some office in heaven," Tim joked.
Hogan is survived by his wife, Becky, his children, their families, grandchildren and his brother and sister-in-law.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to a few organizations close to his heart:
- 7/20 Memorial fund
- Aurora Korean War Memorial fund
- Aurora History Museum
- University of Denver Stephen D. Hogan Scholarship Fund
Donation links are available on the city's website at AuroraGov.org.
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