Boulder City Councilman Tom Eldridge, who founded the iconic Boulder restaurant Tom’s Tavern and helped guide the city through growth and development, has died after a long battle with cancer.
He was 69.
“Boulder is a much better place because of Tom’s involvement,” Mayor Mark Ruzzin said Monday.
Eldridge, who had been a council member since 1997, died Sunday. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2004 and recently had been on a leave of absence from the City Council.
Eldridge was known as a pragmatic voice for the business community. But he was also interested in some of the issues closest to left-leaning Boulder’s heart.
He was a vocal proponent of examining the effect of climate change on the city. He worked on issues of affordable housing and on making the city more inclusive to people from diverse backgrounds.
“He really worked to make life better for everybody in Boulder, regardless of their social or economic standing,” Ruzzin said.
Eldridge founded Tom’s Tavern in 1959. Today it is still regarded by many as the best place in Boulder to get a hamburger.
Eldridge’s memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Friday at the Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder.
There will be a viewing from 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursday at the First Baptist Church of Boulder at 1237 Pine St.
Boulder leaders are tonight expected to declare a special election, to be held within 60 days, to fill Eldridge’s seat.
“Tom’s passing is a great loss for us all,” City Manager Frank Bruno said in a statement.
Staff writer John Ingold can be reached at 720-929-0898 or jingold@denverpost.com.
