When the Tater Daze parade rolls around this year, Brooklyn Park's ambassadors will be remembering a man they considered a friend.

"There's a little piece of each one of us in the Ambassador Program that will be missing [him]," said Melissa Turnquist, one of the program's voluneer leaders.

This year the baked potato float will roll in Lampi's honor.

"You could tell by [Lampi's] face he was very honored every time we came home from a parade and brought home an award for Brooklyn Park," remembers Turnquist.

Flags flew at half mast Thursday in Lampi's honor in Brooklyn Park, as well as at local schools and in Maple Grove.

"It has been one of the highlights of my life to call Steve Lampi my friend," said Mark Hanna, a community volunteer who first got to know Lampi by working on Tater Daze. "It didn't matter where your level of humanity was. He was always nice to us. He was just great. It's such a tremendous loss for our city."

Lampi would show up at events and meetings, but community members say he never craved the spotlight. Lonte Hill, director of the Center of Hope and Compassion, remembers one such instance at a program at Zanewood Community Center. The directors of the program asked if Mayor Lampi wanted to speak to the crowd.

"He was asked to speak and he said 'I don't want to speak. This is about the kids, it's not about me,'" remembers Hill.

Support of community programs is one thing he'll be remembered for. Lampi supported Treehouse, a youth outreach group, which will hold its March fundraiser in his honor.

"There was nothing fake about Steve. He was the real deal," said John Jordan, who says he was Lampi's friend and served with him on various committees. "He cared about Brooklyn Park not as a territory, but as people. He really cared about you. It was never about Steve. He was embarrassed if you told him something good about him."