Sue Betts, a Cortez City Council member and retired Cortez Police Department sergeant, has died from complications related to COPD. She was 68.
Betts died on Aug. 13 at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, according to an obituary published in The Journal.
Betts’ history in Cortez stretches back to the early 1980s when she began a nearly 30-year career at the Cortez Police Department. In April, she was reelected to a second term on the city council along with four new council members. Mayor Pro Tem Rachel Medina remembered her colleague in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday.
“I didn’t get the chance to work with Sue Betts long but it was clear that she cared deeply about this community. She dedicated her career and retirement serving the public to make this city better,” Medina wrote.
The council held a moment of silence in remembrance of Betts at the start of Tuesday’s meeting, following the Pledge of Allegiance.
Former Cortez Mayor Karen Sheek told KSJD she remembers Betts’ love for both her community and her family, and that Betts’ eyes would light up when talking about her grandchildren.
“It’s always a loss to our community when somebody who’s lived there for a long time and who’s been an active member passes,” said Sheek, who worked alongside Betts for two years.
Her death has left a vacancy on the council that City Clerk Linda Smith says needs to be filled with an appointment by Oct. 13. Betts’ successor will serve until the next municipal election in April 2022.
No services will be held for Betts, by her request.
Note: The City of Cortez is an underwriter of KSJD.
This story may be updated.