WOODLAND PARK • In its first regular meeting since his death, the City Council on Thursday honored the late Mayor Val Carr as a hardworking public servant who made a deep impact on the bedroom community a half-hour’s drive west from Colorado Springs.
Carr, who stepped into his role as mayor last April, died Tuesday after a two-month battle with COVID-19. His death was a shock to the community, which just six months before bore the loss of former Mayor Neil Levy, who died in August of complications from kidney cancer. Levy was 66.
After opening the meeting with a moment of silence to honor Carr, 71, council members and city staff recalled happier memories of the man they described as passionate, funny and dedicated. They recalled his love for music and how, clad in a top hat and handing out sheet music, he led the community in singing Christmas carols at the city’s annual tree lighting in December.