Houston council member Larry Green dies at 52

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says a special election will be held to fill the vacant seat of Council Member Larry Green.

Green was found dead Tuesday morning.

Mayor Turner says the election, which must be held within 120 days of the seat being vacated, will be conducted May 5 for the District K city council seat.

Houston police said a missed meeting led them to perform a welfare check at Green's home Tuesday.

According to police, the Houston city council member was found in bed and appeared to have died of natural causes.

HPD said Green's cause of death remains under investigation, but there appeared to be no sign of foul play.

Loved one said, Green was in good health and had no known health problems. His death came as a complete shock.

Green, 52, was the council member in the newly formed district "K," which serves from the edge of the Texas Medical Center to the portion of Houston within Fort Bend County.

Green was sworn into office in January of 2012.

During Tuesday's council meeting, they held a moment of silence to honor Green.

"Tomorrow I'm wearing a green tie and I'm inviting everybody tomorrow to wear the color green in memory of our dear friend and brother Larry Green," said Council Member David Martin.

At Green's apartment friends and loved ones gathered.

"He was beloved by his entire family and certainly he will be missed all the good work that he's done," said Ronald C. Green, a friend and colleague of Larry Green's.

During his first term as a Houston city council member, Green brought more than $20 million worth of economic development projects to his district, which includes the Houston police station and street construction and repair.

Green also pushed to see that women-owned businesses were included into Houston's affirmative action contracting program.

Green earned his BA in political science from the University of Houston and a doctorate of Jurisprudence from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.

He is also a member of the Greater Houston Partnership, a former Board Trustee of Brentwood Baptist Church, a board member of the Texas Black Expo and College of Science and Technology Advisory Board at TSU.

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR TURNER:

"I am shocked and grieving over the untimely death of Houston Council Member Larry Green. But one person's feelings are secondary to the fact that all of Houston has lost a groundbreaking advocate for equality, economic opportunity and neighborhood safety.

"Larry Green was the first and only District K council member following the south/southwest district's creation for the 2011 municipal elections. He was the right person to give definition to this new alliance of neighborhoods and businesses: A hard worker. Not a grandstander. He shared in the economic advances and public safety strides of the district without taking the credit for himself. 'We' have fought together 'to build up the economy of District K,' he wrote on his campaign web site.

"Council Member Green was fond of pointing out that his council district had more undeveloped land than any other and was therefore 'filled with opportunities.' Well so was he, and part of this tragedy is that he is no longer with us to follow through in his uniquely industrious way.

"He advocated persistently for all business people to have a fair shot at doing business with city government, such as for construction and supply vending. That focus of his, he said, was 'so that every business owner has an opportunity to do business with the city - regardless of their age, race, sex, sexual orientation or distinguishing factor.'

"Council Member Green captured the essence of being an enlightened public servant for Houston. My heart goes out to his family, his colleagues and all city residents."

Green's colleagues also paid tribute to the late councilman.