Englewood Mayor Pro Tem Joe Anderson died Friday after suddenly collapsing while hiking one of Colorado’s tallest mountains. He was 45.
Anderson was hiking the lower slopes of Quandary Peak in Summit County when he lost consciousness and stopped breathing early Friday morning, according to local authorities.
Other hikers immediately began performing CPR as emergency personnel were dispatched to the mountain at approximately 6:40 a.m.
Summit County sheriff’s deputies and medical personnel took over lifesaving efforts after reaching Anderson, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not announced what caused Anderson to collapse.
The coroner will determine his official cause of death, according to the City of Englewood.
Quandary Peak rises 14,271 feet above sea level and sits roughly six miles south of Breckenridge. It is the highest summit in Colorado’s Tenmile Range.
Anderson had been a prominent figure in Englewood local government for several years.
He was first elected to represent District 3 on the Englewood City Council in November 2019 before winning another four-year term in November 2023.
One month after his reelection, his fellow council members selected him to serve as mayor pro tem. His current term was scheduled to conclude in November 2027.
Before entering elected office, Anderson served in several pastoral roles at local churches and became involved in community service efforts throughout Englewood.
He helped establish Change the Trend, a nonprofit coalition focused on homelessness that later helped lay the groundwork for the Tri-Cities Homelessness Policy Committee.
Anderson also coordinated Englewood’s largest annual community service project for several years. Originally known as Be a Tool and later renamed the Neighborhood Rehab Project, the initiative provided home repairs for low-income seniors and residents with disabilities.
His community work continued after he joined the city council.
Anderson helped guide Englewood’s efforts to repair and expand its aging stormwater infrastructure following deadly flooding in 2018. He also worked on housing affordability, homelessness and transportation issues during his time in office.
Englewood Mayor Othoniel Sierra announced Anderson’s death Friday and described the loss as a devastating blow to the community.
“We are all shocked and saddened at the sudden passing of our friend and council member, Joe Anderson,” Sierra said in the city’s announcement.
Sierra remembered Anderson as someone who regularly stepped forward to help others, whether as a neighbor, friend, pastor or elected official.
“This is a tremendous loss for our city and our heart goes out to his family and friends during this time of loss,” Sierra added.
Outgoing Englewood City Manager Shawn Lewis also remembered Anderson as an unusually compassionate and effective public servant.
Lewis described Anderson as someone who simultaneously encouraged city employees and pushed them to improve their work.
“Mayor Pro Tem Anderson was this rare combination of a constant encourager behind the scenes while simultaneously challenging us as staff to think bigger and do better,” Lewis said.
Lewis also recalled Anderson offering to pray for him when both of his parents were hospitalized during the COVID pandemic and continuing to check on him afterward.
“He cared for me and other staff members as people,” Lewis said, adding that he would never forget Anderson’s kindness.
An online fundraiser has since been established to help Anderson’s wife and children following his unexpected death, according to the Daily Mail. By Sunday evening, it had reportedly collected nearly $67,000, per Trending Politics.
City officials have emphasized Anderson’s impact on Englewood as the community mourns his sudden death.
The precise circumstances that caused the 45-year-old to lose consciousness on Quandary Peak remain unknown pending the coroner’s determination.
