City Councilwoman Barbara Marshall lost her battle with cancer yesterday, leaving a legacy of integrity and passion -— and her Windward O'ahu council seat vacant.

Some called her a pioneer. Others called her tenacious. Whatever adjective used to describe Marshall, 64, her current and former co-workers agreed she worked relentlessly for her convictions.

Marshall died in Orange County, Calif., yesterday morning on her way home from treatment at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said longtime friend Becki Ward. She had been re-elected and sworn into office on Jan. 2. Her term expires in 2013.

Under the City Charter, the council must hold a special election in the district — Waimanalo, Kailua and most of Kane'ohe — within 60 days, council chairman Todd Apo said. The date of the special election must be set within 10 days of her death, Apo said. On Wednesday, the full council will lay out the parameters for the election.

"One thing we'll look at is how to do it," Apo said. "We might set up voting in precincts or do online voting. Just like any other election, we'll have a nomination period.

"She will be missed as a friend and a colleague on the City Council," said Apo. "She was a great advocate for the people of (Windward) O'ahu. It was refreshing to see the seriousness she brought to her job. Her biggest legacy is her strong, sensible representation."

Marshall is survived by her husband, Cliff; her son, Joe; his wife, Erin; and one grandson. A service is pending.

Marshall was elected for a four-year term in 2008. She won outright in the primary, said Ikaika Anderson, Marshall's legislative aide. She had been the chairwoman of the council for nearly two years and had recently stepped aside because of her illness.

"I'm very proud and honored that she had me on her staff for the past six years," Anderson said. "I'm disappointed that she won't get to finish out her second and final term. She will most undoubtedly be remembered for her honesty and independence, and her open-door policy."

Each month she took her staff to community meetings, called 3 Talks, to give residents a chance to talk to her about their concerns. During her time on the council, she was the chairwoman of the Zoning and Planning Committee and vice chairwoman of the Budget Committee.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann said in a prepared statement that he was saddened to hear of Marshall's death.

"Barbara served the people of the Islands exceptionally well during a distinguished career in journalism and as a member of the Honolulu City Council," Hannemann said. "I enjoyed our relationship, especially when she was council chair, because she was always honest, true to her convictions and an effective representative of her Windward O'ahu constituents."

Many knew Marshall for her work as a broadcast journalist. She lived in Kailua since she came to Hawai'i in 1979, according to her Web site. During her tenure as a broadcast journalist, she became the first person in Hawai'i to anchor a live morning television newscast. She also took the helm of "Action Line," which was an integral part of the KHON Channel 2 News and served as executive producer for some of Hawai'i's top-rated newscasts.

Wally Zimmermann, who worked with Marshall while he was the news director at the station, said Marshall drove herself to always be accurate and to-the-point.

"She was very idealistic," Zimmermann said. "She wanted to make things right. I think that's what drew her to journalism in the first place. She thought she could make a difference."

Zimmermann recalled when Marshall walked up to him on his first or second day on the job and jabbed her index finger into his chest and said she should be the one doing his job.

"She was ruthless in getting the facts and getting them correct," Zimmermann said. "She was a bulldog in the newsroom. It wasn't always pretty, especially when you screwed it up. It's something you have to admire, even though at first you might not."

Born in Illinois, Marshall was a graduate of the University of Illinois, according to her Web site. She worked in Boston and Illinois as a reporter.

Marshall approached her reporting with a clear view on the world, Zimmermann said. She knew what was right and did her homework. A sign on her desk said: Women have to work twice as hard to get half the recognition, he said.

"She was among the pioneer female journalists," Zimmermann said. "She was very good at her work. You could always count on her, and you always got her best effort."