Former U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson has passed away. According to a media release from the Isakson Initiative –
It is with deep sorrow that The Isakson Initiative shares that former U.S. Senator John H. “Johnny” Isakson passed away overnight on December 19, 2021, at age 76.
Isakson served in elected office for more than four decades, in the Georgia State House, the Georgia State Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and most recently in the U.S. Senate, where he served for 15 years. During his third term as U.S. Senator, he was forced into retirement in December 2019 due to advancing Parkinson’s disease.
“We are grateful for everyone’s prayers as we mourn the loss of our father,” said Isakson’s oldest son, John Isakson.
Following his retirement from the U.S. Senate, Isakson dedicated his life to raising awareness and funding for research related to neurocognitive diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and related dementia through The Isakson Initiative. The nonprofit was developed as a continuation of Senator Isakson’s lifelong commitment to public service and his dedication to remaining a champion for advancements in biomedical research and development.
Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp issued a statement with regard to Isakson’s passing; in it, he said –
“Georgia has lost a giant, one of its greatest statesmen, and a servant leader dedicated to making his state and country better than he found it. Johnny Isakson personified what it means to be a Georgian. Johnny was also a dear friend to Marty, the girls, and me – as he was to so many. He answered the call to public service many times over his career as a state legislator, minority leader in the Georgia House, chair of the State Board of Education, Congressman, and finally as Senator.”
