Andover City Council member, Meritrust executive Byron Stout dies

Andover City Council member Byron Stout IV died Wednesday after a prolonged battle with cancer, according to a news release from the city.

Stout, 48, was elected to the Andover City Council in 2011, and before that, he served for five years on the Andover Planning Commission. He won re-election in 2015. Aside from his work in Andover, Stout was vice president for human resources at Meritrust Credit Union.

“Byron loved Andover with every fiber of his being and he gave his all to this community,” Andover Mayor Ben Lawrence said in the news release. “He took his position very seriously and regularly challenged the Council to think through the tough questions.”

Meritrust posted a memorial for Stout on its website Wednesday, saying, “Byron was a one-of-a-kind leader and friend, blessing the world with his tremendous, caring personality and lighthearted sense of humor that brought smiles all around.”

Stout was most recently quoted in The Eagle as being the lone dissenting member of the council on November’s sales tax question in Andover. He told a reporter, “Every time I sit on the bench and look at these things, I realize this is not my money. This is someone else’s money, so how should I spend it?”

According to the news release, Lawrence is “unsure how the Council will move forward filling the vacant position at this time.”

“For now Mayor Lawrence has decided to take some time to pause and reflect on the good work of Mr. Stout,” the news release read.

Funeral services are pending.

This story was originally published June 24, 2015 at 9:15 PM with the headline "Andover City Council member, Meritrust executive Byron Stout dies."