Rep. Mark Takai of Hawaii dies of pancreatic cancer

HONOLULU, July 21 (UPI) -- Rep. Mark Takai, D-Hawaii, elected to Congress in 2014 after 20 years as a state lawmaker, died after battling pancreatic cancer.

Representing Hawaii's 1st District, Takai withdrew from his re-election campaign after learning of his illness, and made the cancer publicly known in an October 2015 statement. He died Wednesday at his home in Honolulu.

A statement Wednesday from President Barack Obama noted Takai "championed our troops and veterans, and proudly wore our nation's uniform."

"And his relentless push for cancer research inspired countless Americans fighting the same battle as him. Simply put, our country is better off because of Mark's contributions."

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in a Twitter message, called Takai a "beloved member of the House of Representatives."

"His love for Hawaii and the people he represented was evident every day," Ryan said.

Takai attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he was a varsity swimmer and student body president. Later a lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard, he served in Iraq.

Takai represented the Aiea/Pearl City District of Oahu Island in the state's House of Representatives for 20 years. In Washington, D.C., he was a member of the House committee on armed services and the Committee on Small Business' Subcommittee on Contracting and the Workforce.

He is survived by a wife and two children. A statement from the family thanked the people of Hawaii for their support during his illness. Information regarding a memorial service was not announced.