Renata Ford, the wife of late former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, has died.
The news was confirmed in a statement from her brother-in-law, Premier Doug Ford.
“My heart breaks for Stephanie and Dougie,” he said. “They’ve been through so much at such young ages, and losing their mom is incredibly painful.”
“Our whole family is hurting for them. We ask that people respect their privacy during this very difficult time.”
Her cause of death has not been revealed. She was 55 years old.
In the 2019 federal election, Renata Ford ran as the People’s Party of Canada candidate in Etobicoke and finished fourth.
Her decision to run for office came shortly after launching a $15-million lawsuit against her brothers-in-law, including the premier, alleging they mismanaged family assets and Rob Ford’s estate, allegations that Doug Ford has denied.
In a statement released Monday, the Ontario Liberal Party extended condolences to Premier Ford and the Ford family.
“We are thinking of them during this difficult time and wish them strength and comfort in the days ahead,” the statement read.
Mark Towhey, who worked as Rob Ford’s chief of staff during his time in office, said during an interview on Newstalk 1010 on Tuesday morning that he was saddened to learn of Renata’s passing.
“I was quite surprised, it came out of the blue last night. She was quite young,” he said. “I am thinking immediately of her two kids who I knew as very small children. Stephanie would be running around the office leading her brother into mischief whenever they came to visit. They are now 20 and 18 I think, so it has to be a very difficult time for them particularly and I hope the family kind of coalesces around them.”
Towhey told Newstalk 1010 that Renata Ford was a “fairly private person” who was “never really part of the public stage” during Rob Ford’s political career.
He said that Renata Ford “kind of kept her own counsel and lived a fairly private non-political life” despite her husband’s high-profile job and the scandals that engulfed his mayoral tenure.
“She will certainly be missed by her children,” he said.
