AUBURN, CA. (THECOUNT) — Dr. William Kirby, the mayor of Auburn, was killed and another injured after an airplane they were flying in crashed near the Auburn Municipal Airport Saturday morning, according the Cal Fire.
Kirby, 72, who stepped down from his official government position on April 13 following intense backlash from a controversial Facebook criticizing Donald Trump, died on April 18 in a plane crash.
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Via Heavy:
Kirby’s political consultant Jeff Raimundo shared his family’s official statement following the tragic death of the former Northern California mayor on his Facebook page:
“Our beloved father and grandfather, Dr. William Kirby, the Mayor of Auburn, has been tentatively identified as the person killed in the plane that crashed near the Auburn Airport this morning about 10:30 a.m. Another person in the plane survived the crash. Unfortunately, we do not yet have many other details or answers.”
“Our family is devastated by this tragic news. Bill devoted decades of enthusiastic and loving support to his family, his patients and the Auburn community he loved so much. We will miss him immensely but take comfort in knowing he died while flying – one of the other loves of his life.”
Dr. Kirby, who was a urologist in addition to being mayor, is survived by his daughter Sarah Kirby-Gonzalez, son-in-law Adam Gonzalez, and grandchildren Addison and Chloe Gonzalez. The family’s statement closed by saying, “He loved his family, especially his two granddaughters. He poured his passion into life and the world is a better place because of him.”
Geo quick facts: Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population was 13,330 during the 2010 census. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history, and is registered as a California Historical Landmark – Wikipedia.