After serving the city of Boston for 20 years, former Mayor Thomas Menino passed away on the morning of Oct. 30 at the age of 71.

Menino, who was first elected mayor of Boston in 1993, left the position this past January and revealed to the city in March that he was undergoing treatment for an advanced form of cancer that had spread to his liver and lymph nodes. Boston’s 53rd mayor is remembered for his dedication to building the city’s economy and identity while retaining a distinct appeal to and likability among the public.

Menino’s spokeswoman, Dot Joyce, gave a statement the morning of his death, announcing his passing while surrounded by his wife, Angela, and his family and friends.

The statement described Menino’s contribution to Boston, saying that he led the city “through a transformation of neighborhood resurgence and historic growth—leaving the job he loved serving the city.”

In an Oct. 30 Boston Globe article, current Mayor of Boston Martin J. Walsh said of Menino, “[n]o man possessed a greater love for our city, and his dedicated life in service to Boston and her people changed the face of the city.”

Walsh continued, attributing Boston’s growth and success to Menino’s “sheer determination and unmatched work ethic.”

As mayor Menino proposed numerous construction projects, such as rebuilding South Boston’s seaport, among other initiatives that encouraged growth to boost the economy and promote business.

He organized neighborhood development, such as programs to find summer jobs for youth and supported green energy sources and other environmentally friendly projects. Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hosted a summit in New York City in 2006 that formed the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition with the goal of getting guns off the streets.

During his 20 years in office, Menino garnered much public favor with acts ranging from including previously under addressed constituencies, such as minorities and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, to public walks around the community. In two Boston Globe polls from 2005 and 2008 for the mayoral elections his approval rating was 72 percent.