Dr. Niles R. Shoff, former Albert Lea mayor and well-known chiropractor, passed away Saturday. He was 84.

Shoff, who was born April 17, 1925, in Bassett, Neb., served as mayor from 1959 to 1968.

Those who know him say he was a man who cared deeply about Albert Lea and who served in many capacities.

“He had foresight enough, he always seemed to look toward the future in doing things for Albert Lea and Freeborn County,” said Albert Lea resident Mike Lee. “He’s always been a true leader in the community. As a community organizer, we’re truly going to miss his foresight.”

During his time in office, Shoff was president of the Minnesota Mayors Association and was on the board of directors for the League of Minnesota Municipalities, according to the “Freeborn County History” book of 1988. He also received the Outstanding Young Man of the Year Award by the Albert Lea Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1956 and was awarded Chiropractor of the Year by the Minnesota Chiropractic Association in 1956, to name a few of his accomplishments.

“If I ever wanted to know something about Albert Lea, I’d ask him,” said 3rd Ward City Councilor Ellen Kehr, who lived across the street from Shoff on Fredrick Drive when she was a child. “He was always, always involved.”

Kehr said even during the last year she’s been in office, she would get letters from Shoff about topics related to Albert Lea.

“He just always cared so much about Albert Lea,” she said.

During local elections in the fall of 2008, Shoff met with many candidates to give them advice, including Lee, Kehr and current Mayor Mike Murtaugh.

Murtaugh said Shoff was the mayor when he was born, and the two got to know each other during the late 1980s and early ’90s when Murtaugh was working at KATE Radio.

“From the moment I met him and stopped to see him, I could tell he was a guy who was an Albert Lea promoter, a downtown promoter,” Murtaugh said.

Every time he stopped in to see Shoff, Murtaugh recalled, the chiropractor was cordial and interested in what was going on.

Murtaugh called Shoff a good mentor, especially for having been in office himself for close to 10 years.

“I’ve always told his family and him that he was one of the people I respected the most in town,” Murtaugh said. “I’m very sad we lost him.”

In Shoff’s first year in office, the historic Wilson’s strike occurred.

“That was a really difficult time for Albert Lea,” Kehr said. “He was such a young mayor then.”

Shoff also served as president of the Albert Lea Lions Club and was an active member of the Democratic Farmer Labor Party.

Shoff Park, off of Minnesota Highway 13, was named after him.

Albert Lean Tom Jones described Shoff as “a huge asset to the city of Albert Lea” who was a community leader for many years.

“I’m sorry to see him go,” said Jones, who noted that Shoff treated him for some back problems in the early ’90s.

The “Freeborn County History” book states Shoff attended York College in York, Neb., and graduated from Lincoln Chiropractic College with a doctorate in chiropractic degree in 1949.

He served in the 725th Field Artillery Battalion, 70th Infantry Division of the United States Army from 1943 to 1946, specifically in the European Theater. He received two battle stars and was a staff sergeant on discharge, according to the book.

He came to Albert Lea in 1950 and joined in a private chiropractic practice in what is now known as the Lea Center building.

In 1965, he purchased the building that formerly housed the First National Bank on the corner of South Broadway Avenue and East William Street. He converted it into offices, where he operated his practice.

It is now referred to as the Shoff building.

He and his wife, Oral, had eight children.

Freeborn County DFL Chairman Art Anderson said he used to talk with Shoff often.

“He was really involved with the DFL,” Anderson said. “I know we’re going to miss him — really — all of us are.

Rose Anderson said whenever she and her husband needed advice they would go and talk to him.

“He knew a lot of things from way back,” she said. “He knew a lot about the city. He did good things, and he hoped for good things.

“He was really great in his time.”

He retired from active practice in 2006 after 56 years.

Shoff passed away at St. John’s Lutheran Home.

His funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church.