Former Fort Worth City Council member Gyna Bivens dies at 71
Gyna Bivens, a former Fort Worth City Council member and mayor pro tem, has died at 71.
While her cause of death has not been announced, Bivens said in October that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was undergoing an in-patient evaluation at Clements University Hospital in Dallas.
Fort Worth council colleagues remember Bivens
Mayor Pro Tem Carlos Flores, who served with Bivens the longest out of the council members, reflected on her passing in both personal and professional terms.
“I lost a friend today,” Flores said in a phone call with the Star-Telegram.
Flores talked about Bivens’ strength of character and her sense of humor, which he said she kept until her last days.
On council, she was diplomatic when she needed to be, but was also very forthright, Flores said. Sometimes she could be like an icebreaker moving through the arctic, because that’s what was needed, he said.
District 4 council member Charles Lauersdorf, who sat next to Bivens at every council meeting and work session, wrote that he misses her in a social media post on Monday.
“I miss her common sense approach, her nonpartisan viewpoints, and the fact that she actually knew what was going on,” Lauersdorf wrote. “The world was a better place with Gyna and I’m going to miss my friend. Rest in power Mayor Pro Tem, we got the watch.”
Bivens was a woman of great faith, said District 5 council member Deborah Peoples, who succeeded Bivens on the council.
“She was a child of Fort Worth, Texas,” Peoples said. “She knew the people and the neighborhoods like the back of her hand, and had a passion for public service.”
Peoples credited Bivens with always being willing to help her understand the district and impart her institutional knowledge.
“That’s something we don’t see enough of these days,” Peoples said.
Bivens paved a path for all those called to public service, District 6 council member Mia Hall said in a post on Facebook.
“She was comfortable being uncomfortable, standing resolute in her beliefs regardless of popular opinion, and that is something I will always cherish,” Hall said in the post.
District 9 council member Elizabeth Beck wrote, “Gyna Bivens was all of 5’1” but you wouldn’t have known it because her personality was giant. Her determination to bring change to the things that mattered most to her was unparalleled. All you had to do was listen to her talk with pride about the demolition of the Dairy Queen or ensuing Fort Worth has one of the toughest tree ordinances. You knew if Gyna cared about it, something was going to happen.”
“She was more than just a colleague, she was a mentor — whether you asked for it or not, she kept you on the straight and narrow,” Beck wrote. “I will be forever grateful of the lessons she taught me, both public and personal.”
“She was a force to be reckoned with” said District 8 council member Chris Nettles in a phone call with the Star-Telegram.
Nettles credited Bivens for being an anchor for him and other council members in 2021 when over half the dais was filled with new members. She tried her best to help the new members be successful, Nettles said.
“Gyna Bivens was a fearless leader who championed her beliefs with conviction,” said District 11 council member Jeanette Martinez in a text message to the Star-Telegram. “She spoke her mind and followed through on her promises,” Martinez said.
Martinez called Bivens a pillar of strength for her district who embodied the spirit of public service.
“To me, she represented someone who fought for their community and was present when it mattered most. She taught me not to sweat the small stuff, and for that, I am a better version of myself,” Martinez said.
Bivens was a gift to the city of Fort Worth, District 3 council member Michael Crain wrote in a statement. “My heart is with the family, loved ones and the District 5 community.”
Bivens, who represented District 5 from 2013-2025, was an advocate for east Fort Worth and “voice for neighborhoods that too often felt unheard,” Crain said.
Her years of leadership on the city council reflected her knowledge of policy and her “unwavering belief that government should open doors of opportunity for every resident,” Crain wrote.
“Gyna’s passion and love for all of District 5 and the Stop Six community was unwavering, and she worked tirelessly in her time on City Council and beyond as an advocate for economic development, neighborhood revitalization, and the senior citizen community,” Mayor Mattie Parker wrote in a social media post. “She was always willing to lend her knowledge and expertise where needed, serving on countless committees and boards throughout her life.”
Bivens was “a refreshing voice of reason” when they needed it the most and she reminded them daily to “be impressive,” the mayor said.
“It was the honor of a lifetime to not only serve alongside her but to call her my dear friend and a mentor,” Parker wrote.
In a statement on social media, Bivens’ family thanked the community “for your continued prayers, love and support.” Details of funeral arrangements are to be announced later.
Tarrant County commissioners offer condolences and appreciation
The Tarrant County Commissioners Court opened its meeting Tuesday with words of gratitude for the time they shared with Bivens.
County Judge Tim O’Hare said she was a sweet lady who passed away too soon.
Her presence will be felt for decades across the county, Commissioner Roderick Miles said, but especially in the Stop Six community.
“I will miss that smile,” Miles said. “I will miss her pulling me close, grabbing me by the arm when she had something to say, but she wanted to always maintain the decorum and professionalism. But those words she whispered in my ear, you can best believe I follow the orders. She was a great woman.”
Miles said “we’ve lost a lot of giants” in the Stop Six community recently and asked for prayers for the family and the community.
“Pray for us. We are grieving,” Miles said. “We’ve lost people who’ve made marks that will never be erased. So I honor and salute today the honorable Gyna Bivens, and I ask that we close today’s session in her memory.”
Bivens took an interest in Commissioner Alisa Simmons’s career early on, Simmons said, and Bivens continued to send words of encouragement and Bible verses through Simmons’s tenure as a commissioner.
“I didn’t have to call her and say, ‘Oh, my God, did you see court meeting or did you hear what happened?’ She knew. She was paying attention, and she was supportive,” Simmons said. “She was among a small number of African-American women who devoted their years to answering the call for public service.”
“Gyna was a titan,” Commissioner Manny Ramirez said.
He said he’ll never forget how she could walk into any situation or room ready for what faced her, both with her personality and her outfit.
“She always carried about four different pairs of shoes, because she said, ‘A woman should always know which room she’s walking into’ and would change her shoes to suit,” Ramirez said. “So she had boots, she had heels, she had tennis shoes all ready to tackle the day.”
This story was originally published February 9, 2026 at 6:40 PM.
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