Per the Tampa Bay Times, U.S. Rep. Bill Young has died following recent reports that he was seriously ill. Congressman Young, known as a stalwart conservative who braved lonely times decades ago as a Republican in the Florida Senate and who softened his rigid views in later years, was a fixture in Florida politics for more than sixty years.

Several candidates have an eye on his Pinellas-based 13th Congressional seat, the race for which promises to be one of the most intriguing in the country. For now, though, we’re going to take a moment to grieve the passing of a titan of Florida history.