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CENTRE — Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Mark Hicks has passed away at the age of 53. Hicks was on vacation in Texas when he suffered an aneurysm. He passed away at a hospital in Austin.

Sheriff Jeff Shaver said his department will definitely feel the effect of Hicks' untimely death.

"We all lost a good friend, and a good person," Shaver told The Post on Friday. "He was a key part of our leadership team and he will be sorely missed."

Hicks joined the Sheriff's Department in 1995 as a reserve deputy, then went to work full-time in 1996. He entered the Department's Investigations division in 2003 after graduating from Northeast Alabama Police Academy in Jacksonville.

Hicks was laid to rest Thursday at Weiss Lake Memorial Gardens in Cedar Bluff. He is survived by his wife, the former Bobbi Combs, a daughter, a stepson, and one grandchild.

Earlier this year, Hicks was also sworn in as the District 4 councilman for the town of Cedar Bluff.

Mayor Ethel Sprouse said "best" isn't a good enough word to describe the kind of person Hicks was.

"He was one of the most outstanding people I ever had the pleasure to work with," Sprouse said. "He was a man of integrity. I don't think many people understand how much Mark loved this county and this town. We're going to miss him."

Sprouse said the town will begin the search for a new city council member at its next meeting, in November.

"From the time we declare the seat vacant, we will have 60 days to select a new member," she said. But no one is thinking about that right now."

Hicks was a native of Rome, Ga.