State Rep. Ken Waller died suddenly on Aug. 24. He was 63.
“There was speculation that his death was attributed to a heart attack, but the final ruling has yet to be made by the Medical Examiner’s Office,” Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak said Monday.
Waller, a Republican who lived in Herculaneum, has held several elected offices.
He was elected Jefferson County’s first county executive in 2010 after the county made the switch to a charter form of government. He served in that role from 2011 to 2018 and then was the county clerk from 2019-2022.
He was elected as state representative for District 114 in 2022 and was serving his second term in that office at the time of his death.
Waller was also the Jefferson County treasurer from 2005-2008.
He recently announced his plans to run for a state senate seat next year.
Waller was dedicated to Jefferson County and the people he served, said his colleagues and friends.
“There wasn’t anybody with a bigger heart who cared more about his community,” said attorney Derrick Good, a longtime friend and a member of the bipartisan committee that wrote Jefferson County’s charter.
Good said an effort is underway to establish a scholarship in Waller’s name.
Marshak said Waller showed his concern for his community with his work in the state Legislature.
“Ken was a friend, and I always appreciated his candor about politics,” Marshak said. “For public safety and labor, he was a leader and supporter. A few weeks ago, the Missouri Sheriff’s Association awarded Ken a leadership award to recognize his work during the legislative session. I will continue to pray for his family.”
Waller and his wife, Trina, have three adult children.
Up until the end, Waller was working in the community. He took part in an Aug. 18 fundraising event for Lafayette JeffCO, formerly known as JSI, an organization that helps local adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities learn competitive employment skills.
“We were especially grateful and honored that Ken Waller, Missouri state representative, not only attended and volunteered at the golf tournament, but also visited Lafayette JeffCO on Thursday, Aug. 21," the organization said in a written statement. "Rep Waller collected donations so that all the employees could proudly display the Lafayette JeffCO logo. We learned that Ken passed away, and we want to extend our condolences to Trina and their children and his mother, Barb Douglas Phillips."
In July, Waller announced his intention to run for the District 22 state Senate seat in 2026. That seat is currently held by Mary Elizabeth Coleman, who previously announced she would not run for reelection.
State representatives Renee Reuter and David Casteel and former state representative Jim Avery, all Republicans, also have announced their plans to run for the seat.
A 1980 Festus High School graduate, Waller received an associate degree in business administration from Jefferson College and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Good said funeral arrangements were pending as of Monday morning. Mahn Funeral Home will handle the services.