Chicago's first and only female mayor in history, Jane Byrne, passed away Friday morning at the age of 81. She had been ill for several years and had last made a public appearance in August when the downtown Circle Interchange had been named in her honor.

Byrne died while in hospice care in her high-rise apartment near the Water Tower, according to her daughter Kathy Byrne.

"She looked down on the city she loved," she said. Byrne was surrounded by her family, including her 17-year-old grandson. "He was her pride and joy. ... The family was here, she was surrounded by people that loved her and whom she loved. ... At the start of the week I sort of knew. Her doctor said she was getting weaker and weaker."

Byrne was elected in 1979, shocking Chicago's political machine, but only held office for one four-year term. Byrne campaigned as a reformer but once elected was seen by many as a letdown to the hope of significant change in the city from former mayor, Richard J. Daley.

"She was probably not prepared to be mayor, not that you go to school for it," Don Rose, her 1979 campaign manager who later left her administration, said. "Although the stories were probably wilder than the actual actions, I think some of her eccentricities were due to the fact that she was just really overwhelmed."

Her daughter said the timing of her mother's death was "uncanny," as the city and state very recently began honoring her for her public service work.

"It's amazing timing that all this happened, and now she passed away," Kathy Byrne said. "But she passed away knowing that all these things occurred and knowing how beloved she was to Chicago. That was nice. It made such a difference.

"She was an amazing person. Really, really,'' she said. "If you kind of drive around and see all these [dedications], it's just overwhelming. She had an amazing life."