‘We will miss her forever’: Langford city councillor Lillian Szpak passes away suddenly

The City of Langford has announced that longtime councillor Lillian Szpak passed away suddenly over the weekend. 

She passed on Saturday, May 2nd, and her cause of death has not been revealed, though it was reportedly sudden. 

Since her passing, Szpak’s family shared the following statement for the public:

“Lillian loved her family and her community deeply. She lived every day to the fullest, and we will miss her forever. She burned bright till the very end. We love you Lillian.”

Szpak moved to Langford in 1993 and was first elected in 2002. Since that time she has shown dedication for over two decades in local politics.  

According to the City, Szpak helped shape Langford in a wide range of local and regional leadership roles. She was a Capital Regional District (CRD) board member, served the CRD’s hospital board, the Capital Region Housing Corporation board and also served two terms as Chair of the Regional Water Supply Commission. 

Additionally, Szpak was appointed to Langford’s Sustainable Development Advisory Committee and served as an alternate representative to the West Shore Parks and Recreation Board.

In these roles, she was an advocate for responsible growth, public input, environmental stewardship, housing affordability, community safety, parks, recreation, regional collaboration and the importance of representation in civic leadership. 

During her last election campaign in 2022, Szpak maintained that her priority was bringing the community’s voice to the table to help the city council remain a respectful place where residents could be heard.

Prior to her time in local politics, Szpak served on the board of the Westshore Chamber of Commerce, volunteered with community organizations and served as a citizen volunteer on Langford’s Planning and Zoning Committee. 

“Lillian gave so much of herself to Langford,” said Mayor Scott Goodmanson. 

“For more than two decades, she showed up for this community with conviction, compassion, and a deep respect for residents.”

Mayor Goodmanson added that she cared deeply about people being heard, the future of Langford and she understood that public service is both a privilege and a responsibility. 

“On behalf of Council and the City of Langford, I extend our heartfelt condolences to Lillian’s family, friends, colleagues, and to everyone in our community who is mourning this loss,” concluded Mayor Goodmanson. 

In recognition of councillor Szpak’s passing and the work she did for the community, flags across Langford have been lowered to half-mast.