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Utah political leaders on Monday were mourning the death of Neil Ashdown, praising his intellect and ability.
Ashdown died Sunday of unknown causes at age 46.
He served as chief of staff to Gov. Jon Huntsman, both during his time in Utah and as U.S. ambassador to China. He later ran an online education company and worked for a short time as chief of staff to Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Most recently he was vice president of government affairs for Rocky Mountain Power.
"The world has lost a wonderful and intelligent soul and our grief is great," the family said in a statement. "Dr. Ashdown made many significant contributions to Utah government and politics while serving as Gov. Jon M. Huntsman's chief of staff, both here and in China, and in his present position at Rocky Mountain Power. Neil was a truly great person and friend."
Huntsman called working closely with Ashdown "one of life's greatest professional pleasures."
"The state benefited enormously from his gifted public policy insights, where many of Utah's recent successes were a direct results of Neil's vision and collaborative nature," Huntsman said. "Personally, I couldn't have asked for a more loyal, dedicated friend and confidant. Mary Kaye and our entire family express deepest condolences to Andrea, [their] children and their extended families."
U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who was Huntsman's chief of staff when Ashdown began working in the office, remembered Ashdown's work ethic and collegiality.
"It's so sad," Chaffetz said. "He was a good friend, a confidant and a hard worker and trusted by most everyone he came in contact with. I enjoyed working with him and he always did what he said he was going to do. I'm going to miss him."
Gov. Gary Herbert, who worked with Ashdown when he was lieutenant governor, and his wife, Jeanette, extended their condolences as well.
"He was a dedicated public servant and a friend and mentor to many," Herbert said. "His loss is felt deeply by the many Utahns who had the opportunity to interact with him over the years."
Huntsman first hired Ashdown as an economist in the office. Ashdown quickly rose through the ranks, becoming chief economist in the office, policy director and, later, the governor's chief of staff.
"There's always a catastrophe in the governor's office, and everyone knew Neil would be able to assess the situation and calmly and confidently be able to figure out the right pathway. He just instilled confidence in everyone who worked for him," said state Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, who worked with Ashdown in the governor's office. "If I was talking to Neil, I knew it was as good as talking to the governor, because he had that much trust in Neil."
Ashdown and his family moved to China in 2009, when Huntsman was picked by President Barack Obama to be ambassador to the country. Ashdown, his wife, Andrea, their two children and a third they adopted while in China returned in 2011 to the United States, where he worked for Zions Bank before becoming president of iSchool Campus, an online learning company.
In 2014, he was hired to be chief of staff to Lee. Ashdown had worked with Lee when the latter was general counsel to Huntsman.
"In every role, Neil distinguished himself as thoughtful, strategic, and always willing to do the hard, behind-the-scenes work that fostered success," Lee said in a statement. "He never seemed to care about getting credit; his focus was on solving problems, not praise or recognition. I will always treasure my friendship with Neil. Sharon and I mourn his passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
For the past year, Ashdown had been working as a vice president for Rocky Mountain Power, lobbying at Utah's Capitol for the company's issues.
"On the personal side, he was just a really nice guy, really friendly, a great person to talk to, a great sense of humor. A really nice person. Everyone loved him," Spendlove said. "He leaves a big legacy. He was a great guy and I can't say enough good about him."
Funeral arrangements have not been made.
Twitter: @RobertGehrke