Former Lawrence City Manager Ray Wells has died in his Colorado home, the Denver Post is reporting.

Wells was Lawrence’s city manager from 1964 to 1969 and retired in Colorado after having served as city manager for the Denver suburb of Lakewood.

Lawrence residents who served with Wells praised him as a strong leader who helped guide the city during some turbulent times in the late 1960s.

Former Lawrence City Manager Ray Wells, pictured in 1969

“Ray was an interesting fellow,” said Jerry Cooley, who served for decades as Lawrence’s city attorney. “He was filled with energy and ideas.”

Rex Johnson, who served as Douglas County sheriff for 24 years, echoed that assessment.

“He was a good leader,” Johnson said. “I always thought he was very sincere about his job, and was always willing to listen and work with law enforcement. When he left, he was missed by Lawrence.”

Wells, 82, died on May 19 after a brief bout with congestive heart failure, according to The Post.

Wells was a native of Miltonvale, Kan., and served in the Air Force from 1957 to 1961, according to the article. He graduated from Kansas University’s School of Public Administration, and held city manager positions in Lawrence and Iowa City and served as the top manager for Muskegon County, Mich.,The Post reported. He went on to hold several jobs in the private sector in the Denver area, including as general manager of the Denver Tech Center.

He is survived by his wife, Lorrie Wells; his sister, Sondra Strait; six children and seven grandchildren, the newspaper reported. A memorial service was held in Colorado Thursday.