Former Connecticut Secretary of the State Julia Tashjian, who died suddenly on Thursday, May 9, of a heart attack, is being mourned by those who knew her both personally and in her role as a public official, Journal Inquirer reports.

Tashjian, a Democrat, was 74 years old.

“Julia will be missed by all who knew her,” Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a statement. “I will remember Julia for her years of public service, cheerful demeanor, and pride in her Armenian American heritage.”