Former Denver Councilman Theodore "Ted" James Hackworth Jr., who had a reputation for being a fiscal conservative and government watchdog, has died. He was 83.

The Denver coroner's office says Hackworth died of natural causes Monday at his home.

Hackworth left the City Council in 2003 after serving for 24 years. Denver Councilman Charlie Brown says Hackworth "questioned everything" and embodied what it meant to be a fiscal conservative.

Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz, who replaced Hackworth, says he was a man of integrity who "stood up for what he believed in."

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Hackworth also worked on the Denver School Board in the 1970s and was president of a neighborhood association after leaving the City Council.

He is survived by his wife, Doris, children and grandchildren.

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Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com