HONOLULU (AP) – U.S. Rep. Mark Takai, a war veteran and long-time legislator known for his bright nature and deep commitment to service, died in his home after a months-long battle with cancer.
Just 49 years old, the first-term Democrat from Hawaii was surrounded by family when he died of pancreatic cancer Wednesday, said Rod Tanonaka, Takai’s chief of staff.
Takai had “a servant’s heart, full of aloha,” said U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who served with Takai in Congress, the Hawaii Army National Guard and the state Legislature.
“No matter where he was, he always kept his service to Hawaii’s people at the forefront of his actions,” Gabbard said. “Mark’s smiling face and ready laugh will truly be missed, but the impact that he made through his life of service to the people of Hawaii will always be remembered.”
Born on Oahu, Takai served in the state House of Representatives for 20 years before he was elected to Congress, first winning his statehouse seat at age 27. He served as a lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard for more than a decade and was deployed to the Middle East as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In Congress, he sat on the Armed Services and Natural Resources committees.