The husband of Alaska U.S. Representative Mary Sattler Peltola died following a plane crash in Alaska, the congresswoman’s office announced Wednesday morning.
“We are devastated to share that Mary’s husband, Eugene Peltola Jr. — ‘Buzzy’ to all of us who knew and loved him — passed away earlier this morning following a plane accident in Alaska,” Peltola’s chief of staff Anton McParland wrote in a statement.
Further details about the plane crash were not provided.
— Rep. Mary Peltola (@Rep_Peltola) September 13, 2023
“He was one of those people that was obnoxiously good at everything,” the statement read. “He had a delightful sense of humor that lightened the darkest moments. He was definitely the cook in the family. And family was most important to him. He was completely devoted to his parents, kids, siblings, extended family, and friends — and he simply adored Mary.”
“We are heartbroken for the family’s loss,” McParland wrote, adding Peltola “is returning home” to mourn the loss with her family.
Peltola, a Democrat, is Alaska’s only U.S. representative in the House. In August 2022, she won a special election to replace Republican Rep. Don Young, who died in March of that year at age 88. Peltola won a full two-year term in November by defeating Sarah Palin, the state’s former governor and the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee.