Ben Shelly, the former head of the Navajo Nation, died at the age of 75 following a protracted illness. Deswood Tome, a family spokeswoman, reported that Shelly passed away in New Mexico on Wednesday morning.
As Thoreau’s representative, Shelly was chosen to serve as the Navajo Nation’s seventh president and assumed office in January 2011.
The Navajo Supreme Court prolonged his term for an additional five months after he failed to win re-election in 2014. Shelly served as the tribe vice president starting in 2007 before taking on the role of tribal president.
Shelly had a long career in public service, spending eight years as a McKinley County commissioner and 16 years as a representative of Thoreau on the Navajo Nation Council.
In addition, for the previous seven years, Shelly and his family owned a transportation company.
Shelly’s family will arrange a private funeral for him. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Martha Shelly, five children, 12 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. For a later time, a public tribute will be held to celebrate his life and his accomplishments to the Navajo Nation.
Ben Shelly obituary
On March 22, 2023, Ben Shelly, the Navajo Nation’s sixth president, passed away. He was a Tó’aheedlinii clan member born for Tsah Yiskidnii and was born in Thoreau, New Mexico, on July 6, 1947. He was the first New Mexican Navajo to serve as president of the tribe.
The fact that Shelly was chosen as both president and vice president of the Navajo Nation made his electoral triumph noteworthy.
In the 2010 Navajo Nation presidential elections, he defeated Lynda Lovejoy, a state senator from New Mexico. On August 16, 2014, he was defeated in the Navajo Nation Primaries by Christopher Deschene and Joe Shirley Jr., both of whom were newcomers.
Before entering politics, Shelly worked as a supervisor for a heavy equipment company for 16 years in Chicago, where he also obtained training in heavy equipment repair. In 1976, he eventually made his way back to the Navajo Nation, where he ran a mechanic and fleet maintenance business.
Martha Shelly, the wife of Shelly, was born into the Tábhá and Tódch’ii clans and is a native of Coyote Canyon. During 45 years of marriage, they have five children and 10 grandchildren.
In conclusion, Ben Shelly was a well-known leader who made history by being the first New Mexican Navajo to head the Navajo Nation and the first leader to be chosen for both the presidency and vice presidency of the Navajo Nation.
Ben Shelly’s previous offices
Ben Shelly represented the Thoreau, New Mexico, community in the Navajo Nation Council from 1991 to 2007. Afterward, he was elected president of the Navajo Nation, a position he held for one term. He was also the Vice-President of the Navajo Nation.
Ben Shelly’s net worth at the time of death
Ben Shelly’s net worth at the time of his death is estimated to be $5 million dollars according to reports.