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State flags will fly at half-staff Wednesday in honor of Alaska state Rep. Carl Gatto, 74, who passed away Tuesday. A "visibly shaken" Rep. Bill Stolze announced Gatto's death on the House floor, according to the Juneau Empire.
"Alaska has lost a great public servant who will be remembered for his wit and wisdom, his commitment to education and veterans' issues, and his unwavering support for the people of the Mat-Su. We will keep his wife, family, friends and colleagues in our thoughts and prayers," Governor Sean Parnell said in a prepared statement.
Gatto, a Republican from Palmer serving his fifth term in the legislature, flew to Seattle for treatment last Friday after being hospitalized overnight to treat dehydration and a kidney condition. Gatto had been battling prostate cancer, and he missed the early part of this legislative session to undergo radiation treatment.
Gatto had been planning for this to be his last session in Juneau.
Gatto moved to Alaska in 1968 and served with the Anchorage Fire Department from 1974 to 2000. He was first elected to the Alaska Legislature in 2002 as a Republican representing Palmer residents in House District 13.