A small American town of about 900 people had a most unusual honorary mayor for some time. In Talkeetna, Alaska, the post was held by an adorable ball of purrfection named Stubbs, who died recently at the age of 20. In a statement, the Spone family from the town shared the news of Stubbs’s death and said that his brother Denali, who will take over all mayoral duties, has some big paws to fill in. The video (above) offers a glimpse into the departed mayor’s life.

“Stubbs lived for 20 years and 3 months,” the family wrote. “He was a trooper until the very last day of his life; meowing at us throughout the day to pet him or to come sit on the bed with him and let him snuggle and purr for hours in our lap. Thank you, Stubbs, for coming into our lives for the past 31 months; you are a remarkable cat and we will dearly miss you. We loved the time we were allowed to spend with you.”

The people of the town had elected Stubbs through a write-in campaign back in the 1998 election. He held one of the longest terms in office, and was dearly loved by the townspeople. KTVA reported that he has survived dog attacks and even fake news attacks.