Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop announced that former Councilwoman Viola Richardson has died.

The mayor tweeted that ‘These times are hard. We are so sad to share the passing of former Councilwoman Viola Richardson – I served w/her for 8 years on the City Council + she defined “fighter” + “public servant”. She was a champion for her ward and a champion for Jersey City. RIP Viola.’

Her death was a result of COVID-19 complications, according to Hudson County View.

A former police officer, Richardson served as a Councilwoman-at-Large in the city for over a decade, first elected in 2001 and losing a re-election bid in 2013.

At the time, Richardson had this to say, according to NJ.com:

Speaking to a handful of campaign workers around 9:30 p.m., Richardson remarked: “Now I can go on vacation. I can do whatever I want . . . I can be grandma.”

Richardson’s passing comes just days after Councilwoman Michael Yun passed away due to COVID-19 complications.

These times are hard. We are so sad to share the passing of former Councilwoman Viola Richardson – I served w/her for 8 years on the City Council + she defined “fighter” + “public servant”. She was a champion for her ward and a champion for Jersey City. RIP Viola. pic.twitter.com/SaylpEd3l0

— Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) April 10, 2020