Rob Ford, the pugnacious, populist former mayor of Toronto whose career crashed in a drug-driven, obscenity-laced debacle, died on Tuesday after fighting cancer, his family says.
He was 46.
He gained international notoriety after admitting smoking crack cocaine in 2013, but he was loved by supporters.
"A dedicated man of the people, Councillor Ford spent his life serving the citizens of Toronto," his family said in a statement.
He could not run for re-election as mayor in 2014 due to his cancer diagnosis, he was diagnosed with liposarcoma, and received chemotherapy, but won a city council seat in a landslide result.
He had been in palliative care for the past few days and passed away today.
