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Milton John Osborne, 54, was serving his second term as a Grey District Councillor for the Eastern Ward, a position to which he was elected unopposed.
A contractor at the Pike River Mine, Milton lived in the Grey Valley with his family.
His son Robin said the family first learned of the drama when his father's boss rang to notify them.
They were getting a lot of support, but were growing tired of approaches from "nosy people", he said earlier in the week.
National's West Coast MP, Chris Auchinvole, told TV3's The Nation Milton was a "great guy".
"He is a very large gentleman, used to give me good advice during the election campaign. If things got a bit rough he would tap me on the shoulder and say - 'Chris, mate. You just stay lovely, that's how they want you. I'll do the nasty bits'."
Jan Fletcher of Rapahoe Beach Motel said her husband used to play darts with Milton. She described him as "well educated and outgoing".
"If he felt strongly about something, he was the type of person who would write letters into the paper about it," Ms Fletcher said.
