Norma Reyes, a longtime member of former Mayor Richard Daley's administration, died Monday at the age of 56.
Details surrounding her passing, first reported by the Chicago Tribune, were unknown Tuesday afternoon.
Daley described Reyes, who served as his deputy chief of staff before being appointed Commissioner of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, as "wonderful" and "upbeat."
"She had a fantastic sense of humor and a strong sense of duty to provide opportunities for the less fortunate. She was simply a very good person," he said.
Reyes previously served the city as its Commissioner of the Department of Buildings.
An attorney who practiced law in Chicago for 20 years, Reyes received a bachelor's degree in government and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame, according to a biography on WomensNetworkingCommunity.org.
She worked as a Cook County assistant state’s attorney for nine years before becoming chief assistant corporation counsel and later the deputy corporation counsel for the city’s Law Department.
She retired from public service in 2011.
