http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/arti...5-12423708.php

December 12, 2017

Mayor Ed Lee, the city’s first Asian American mayor and the man who presided over San Francisco’s transformation during the recent tech boom, died early Tuesday morning after suffering a heart attack. He was 65.

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Lee collapsed while shopping at the Safeway grocery store on Monterey Boulevard near his Glen Park home at about 10 p.m. Monday and was taken by ambulance to San Francisco General Hospital. He died at 1:11 a.m., surrounded by friends and family.

The mayor’s office released a brief statement early Tuesday morning confirming Lee’s death, stating in part: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Anita, his two daughters, Brianna and Tania, and his family.” Flags at City Hall were lowered to half staff.

News of Lee’s unexpected death shocked and saddened city officials, many of whom respected the moderate mayor even when he was their political adversary.

“I am utterly and totally grief stricken,” said Supervisor Malia Cohen, who wept as she spoke Tuesday morning. “My heart breaks for (Lee’s wife) Anita and the mayor’s daughters. The entire city family is grieving right now. It’s a very stressful and difficult time. We’ll get through it together. I’m in shock, it’s still hard for me to believe. I was just with him on Saturday.”

Supervisor Aaron Peskin was crying as well remembering Lee.

“Even though he didn’t support me when I ran for supervisor a couple years ago, he was somebody who was a brother who I admired, not only as the first Chinese American mayor in San Francisco but as somebody who loved the community and was fun to hang out with,” Peskin said.

Several of Lee’s family members, including his wife and two daughters, returned to the mayor’s home in a quiet Glen Park cul-de-sac about 11 a.m. Lee’s wife walked quickly into the house, wearing sunglasses and looking down. One of Lee’s daughters, Tania, would only say, “We just need some time” before entering the house.