Belmont Mayor Richard Turner died Wednesday night after suffering a stroke, family said. He was 62.

Turner had undergone surgeries recently for health issues and had experienced complications, his wife, Marie Turner, said in a social media post Thursday.

Turner served Belmont for the past 12 years as mayor and on the city council, the city said in a new release. He was first elected to city council in 2013.

“Mayor Turner was not only a colleague but a dear friend,” Mayor Pro Tem Jim Hefferan said. “His passing is a tremendous loss for our city, and our prayers and condolences go out to Marie and the entire Turner family.”

In addition to his wife of 33 years, Turner is survived by three children.

Belmont is a city of 10,000 in Gaston County, west of Charlotte.