The DUP Assembly member Christopher Stalford has died suddenly aged 39.
Mr Stalford represented South Belfast at Stormont since 2016 and had been the Assembly's principal deputy speaker since 2020. He was married, with four young children.
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said he had been "deeply saddened" to learn of his death and described Mr Stalford as "not just an elected representative or a colleague, he was a friend".
He said Mr Stalford had been “born to be a public representative” and was someone who “believed in stretching himself to build a genuinely shared future.
"He was confident in his unionism and his identity and was always prepared to provide leadership to keep Northern Ireland moving in the right direction," he said.
Tributes were paid to Mr Stalford from across the political divide on Sunday. Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin’s leader in the North, said it was “desperately sad news” and extended her condolences and “sincere sympathy to his wife Laura and their four children who are foremost in our thoughts”.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and south Belfast MP Claire Hanna said they had known Mr Stalford for more than 20 years and were shocked and saddened by his death.
The SDLP spring conference, which was due to take place on Sunday, was postponed as a mark of respect.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr Donaldson said he had “talked at length with Christopher on Friday night. He was passionate about Northern Ireland and wanted the best for his constituents.
“I was never to know how precious that conversation was to be.
“Most telling of all in that conversation was his pride in Laura and their children.
“He talked about his eldest child transferring to big school and the discussions that were ongoing in the home,” he said.
From the Sandy Row area of south Belfast, Mr Stalford had been a councillor in Belfast since 2005 and was elected High Sheriff of Belfast in 2010 and was deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2013/14.
The DUP MLA Paul Givan, who resigned as the North’s first minister earlier this month, said he had first met Mr Stalford at Belfast City Hall at a school debating competition “and knew he would be a great politician. I am blessed to have had him as my good friend.”
DUP chairman Lord Morrow said he had known Mr Stalford since childhood and his family had been "faithful members" of the party since its foundation.
“As a party, we are shocked and saddened by his death but most of all we are heartbroken for Laura, their four little children and Christopher’s wider family who will feel this loss most keenly.
“We are praying that the God of all comfort will be with the Stalford family at this difficult and sad time as they mourn the sudden and unexpected passing of one who was so dear and precious to them,” he said.
“We thank those across the political spectrum for their condolences and thoughtfulness,” he said.
‘Defining memories’
Mr Eastwood said: “I don’t think there was a single political issue that Christopher and I agreed on but one of my defining memories will be his great ability to disagree well.
“You could have a storming argument in the Assembly with terse words and raised voices but as soon as you left, he would always have a wry smile and a laugh.
“Today is a day for political parties to set aside enmity and terse words and to remember that we are all people working hard and doing our best to serve the interests of the people we represent,” Mr Eastwood said. “Christopher Stalford was someone who did just that.”
The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister sent his sympathies to Mr Stalford's family and to his party.
“Having known Christopher well since his days working for me, when I served as an MEP, I retained friendship and respect for him and his undoubted ability.
“His colleagues in the Assembly and elsewhere will feel an aching void, though it is his family who above all require the prayers and support of us all.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “deeply saddened” by Mr Stalford’s death. “He served the people of south Belfast diligently and with integrity, working tirelessly to improve housing and education,” Mr Martin said. “I conveyed my sympathies to his party leader Jeffrey Donaldson earlier today, and my sincere condolences go to his wife Laura, children, family, friends and colleagues in the DUP.
Northern Secretary Brandon Lewis sent his “sincere condolences to Christopher Stalford’s family and friends on this very sad news.
“As MLA and Principal Deputy Speaker, Christopher was passionate about crucial issues that affected people across NI and was dedicated to building a better Northern Ireland for everyone,” he said.
Braniel nursery and primary school in Belfast, where Mr Stalford was on the board of governors and which his children attend, described him as a “very active and committed member of the board who was “passionate about education and equality for all.
“But more than everything, Christopher was a loving and committed father and husband to Laura and their four children” and “spoke with such overwhelming love about each of them,” the school said.
The Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie said it was “absolutely tragic and shocking news” which would be “felt by every single person who worked at Stormont.
“I worked with Christopher on many occasions and although we had differing political views, we never traded an angry word.
“He was someone I liked, respected and who worked tirelessly for his community and country,” he said.
The Alliance leader Naomi Long said despite their different politics she and Mr Stalford had a “warm personal friendship, with him often talking to me about his pride in his family.
“Just this week, we discussed his eldest child’s school transfer [from primary to secondary school] and it is difficult to put into words my shock, sadness and devastation just days later we are discussing his passing.
“He was a genuine and funny person, who was dedicated to public service.”
