A longtime Michigan politician pursuing his lifelong dream of becoming a city councilor died hours before he won his election on Tuesday.
Auburn Hills Councilor-elect Greg Ouellette, 69, suffered a fatal heart attack and was pronounced dead shortly after polls closed, the city announced.
“I believe that somehow Greg was able to know that he won that election on Tuesday,” Ouellette’s widow said, according to a press release from the city on Thursday.
Ouellette was one of six candidates vying for four seats on the council. He said he “had a really good feeling” about his chances leading up to election night, Auburn Hills Director of Community Development Steve Cohen told the Oakland Press.
Ouellette received 1,278 votes, or 15.15%, the fourth-highest vote total, and was elected to a two-year term.
The 69-year-old, who spent 28 years serving on the planning commission of the suburban city 26 miles north of Detroit, was pursuing his second attempt at a seat on the city council after his unsuccessful run in 2023, according to the outlet.
He was supposed to be sworn in on Nov. 17, but now the city council will honor the councilor-elect when it convenes, leaving his seat empty, along with a tribute to Ouellette.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ouellette family, and we have no doubt how proud they must be that Greg achieved his dream of being elected to City Council,” Mayor Brian Marzolf said.
Ouellette had spent the last 17 years serving as the chairman of Auburn Hills’ planning commission.
“Greg was a well-respected and instrumental leader of the Planning Commission where he helped guide some of the most complex developments in the community,”
He was honored by the city government in 2018 for his two decades of “dedicated service” with the commission.
“Greg has professionally represented the City during his 20 years of service, showing the utmost respect to both the citizens and businesses that have brought development related issues and proposals before the Board. As a volunteer, he has built his knowledge base in planning and leadership by attending numerous training sessions provided by MAP and other organizations,” then city planner Shawn Keenan.
Outside of his dedicated career in public service, Ouellette was a determined hiker and part of a weekly hiking group, reaching the summit of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington — the highest peak in the Northeast.
“As I talked to others who knew Greg, I realized more how kindhearted he was. He always made a timely phone call or shared a thoughtful gift with those in need,” fellow hiker Tom Lipinski wrote on Facebook.
Lipinski shared he had done over 430 hikes with Ouellette in nine years, and the two would meet up for coffee before their weekly adventures.
“I will miss these drives, but I believe they are likely to continue in a non-physical way,” the grieving friend said.
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