Vera Danyluk, the well-respected four-term mayor of the Town of Mount Royal, has died of an undisclosed illness.

She was 66.

Danyluk's leadership had become so deeply ingrained into the fabric of the city, many of its residents considered her to be far more than a mayor, longtime councilor John Miller said.

"I think you will find that most town residents all felt she was one of their friends," he said Thursday.

CTV Montreal's Rob Lurie spoke to several of those residents Thursday afternoon as the sad news filtered quickly through the town of nearly 19,000 people, and they essentially confirmed Miller's sentiment.

"I think she represented the town beautifully," one woman told Lurie. "She was a very, very bright, articulate woman. It is such a sad thing."

"She was the best mayor I could imagine," another man said.

Westmount Mayor Peter Trent said Danyluk's legacy might ultimately be the inspiration she provided for women to get involved in public life.

"Many women have told me that they consider Vera to be a role model, as something they could aspire to," Trent said.

Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay expressed his condolences to Danyluk’s husband Victor and their son Peter on behalf of the city government.

“I had the pleasure of knowing Vera Danyluk for several years and it was a privilege to work by her side,” Tremblay said in a statement. “This woman was a great source of inspiration for myself and anyone who made the decision to get involved in municipal politics. We have lost an exceptionally talented woman who dedicated her life to serving the population.”

Danyluk fell ill suddenly earlier this year, and following several dizzy spells and bouts of fatigue was hospitalized on April 11.

She also lost a signficant amount of weight last year following the death of her mother.

In the beginning of June her family told TMR officials that Danyluk would not recover, and would officially step down on July 26.

That triggered this tribute from Montreal City Council president Claude Dauphin back in August.

"Throughout a brilliant political career, which she carried out with great humility, Vera Danyluk remained true to her priorities, to promote principles of sound governance and ensure stringent, open and upright management," Dauphin said then. "She became involved specifically in promoting citizen safety on the Island on Montréal. Her actions were widely recognized, as she received the Governor General's Award in 2001. She is truly an exceptional woman as well as an inspiration for those who have chosen to enter political life."

Danyluk first served as mayor of TMR from 1987 to 1994, including a several-year stint as the head of the Montreal Urban Community. She was re-elected as mayor in 2005 and 2009.

Irwin Cotler has been the MP for the federal Mount-Royal riding since 1999 and he expressed deep sadness in learning Danyluk had passed away.

"Vera has been described as being ‘as quintessential a municipal politician as Montreal has ever produced,' but at a time when politics and politicians seem diminished in respect and stature, Vera remained a respected, admired, trusted, and effective municipal leader," Cotler said in a statement issued Thursday.

"She has served the people of Mount Royal – indeed, of the wider Montreal community and beyond – with distinction and devotion, and it has been an honour and a privilege for me to work alongside her in service to the people of Mount Royal. On behalf of my family, my constituency team, and me personally, I extend our deepest condolences to her close ones. May we all be inspired by her memory, and may that memory serve as a blessing for us all."

Her family says they want to grieve privately, but understand that the public will want a ceremony to honour Danyluk.