Former Sen. Johnny Isakson dies at 76
ATLANTA - FOX 5 Atlanta has learned Georgia political leader who served Georgia for decades on the state and national level and watched the Republican Party grow to the state's majority party has died.
A long-time aide has confirmed to FOX News that Senator Johnny Isakson died Sunday at the age of 76. He was nine days shy of his 77th birthday.
"We are grateful for everyone’s prayers as we mourn the loss of our father," said Isakson’s oldest son, John Isakson.
Isakson's funeral arrangements have not been finalized, according to the former senator's family.
REACTIONS TO NEWS OF JOHNNY ISAKSON'S DEATH
Born in Atlanta, the 1966 University of Georgia graduate served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966 until 1972.
The man who called Marietta home was called by the people of Georgia to represent them in Washington not once, but three times.
Isakson served in both the Georgia state Senate the U.S. House, but in November 2004, Georgians hired him to represent them in the U.S. Senate.
ISAKSON DELIVERS SENATE FAREWELL
The three-term Republican senator stepped down in December 2019 because of health issues. He dedicated the remaining years of his life to raising awareness and funding for research related to neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and related dementia through The Isakson Initiative.
Senator Johnny Isakson, a Republican from Georgia and chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, speaks during a confirmation hearing for Robert Wilkie, secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) nominee for U.S. President Donald Trump, not pictured (Getty Images)
Before he was sworn in, Isakson praised then-President George Bush’s performance in Iraq, saying he needed more support.
"I think the international community hasn’t really done a good job reaching out to America, in particular, the people of the Middle East," Isakson said.
In 2016, Sen. Isakson made history, becoming the first Republican from Georgia elected to serve a third term in his seat.
"I'm going to be a constructive player in the US Senate," he said.
During his later years, Isakson lived with Parkinson’s disease. Still, he pushed on, taking on the issues of the day.
The fall of 2018 saw the Georgia senator fully supporting and voting for Brett Kavanaugh during his controversial nomination to the Supreme Court.
But the issue he fought most strongly for was supporting veterans, becoming the chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in 2015.
"No veteran should ever get hung up on, get a busy signal, or not get the help they need," he said at the celebration of the 2016 opening of a veterans’ crisis center. "They didn't get that option when they were on the battlefield and we're not going to take that option to do that as veterans’ services people."
In 2017, the conservative voice of Georgia crossed the aisle, backing President Barack Obama to sign a bill aimed at preventing suicides among military veterans.
A successful businessman, Isakson opened a small family real estate company.
He served as its president for 20 years, growing it to be one of the largest residential real estate brokerage companies in the Southeast.
It’s an experience that helped him represent Georgians from across the state.
"I’m trying to find common ground and solutions. Find 80 percent of common ground and not lose a deal over 20," he said. "Can't always be my way or the highway."
Isakson and his wife Dianne married in 1968. They have three children and eight grandchildren.