Father of Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake passes away at 85
Jun 27, 2017, 11:16 AM
(Twitter Photo/@JeffFlake)
PHOENIX — The father of Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake has passed away. The senator tweeted out the sad news Monday night.
The finest man I've ever known passed away today, Dean Flake. My hero, my idol, my father. pic.twitter.com/p9cLw1KivF
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) June 27, 2017
Dean Flake was 85. The former cattle rancher had served as mayor of Snowflake, a town that bears his family’s name. The Navajo County town was named after founders Erastus Snow and William Jordan Flake, both Mormon pioneers.
Happy Father's Day to the man I admire most in the world, my dad. pic.twitter.com/Q0PorA0HZ1
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) June 15, 2014
Flake joined his family in Snowflake on Tuesday, his office said.
Funeral arrangements were pending.
Arizona Sen. John McCain sent the Flake family his condolences on social media.
Cindy & I send condolences to @JeffFlake & entire Flake family as they mourn loss of an extraordinary man Dean Flake https://t.co/4uFq61sHdV
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) June 27, 2017
“Arizona will miss Dean Flake,” McCain wrote, “but his legacy as an honorable family man and his contributions to our state will always live on.”
The elder Flake served on the Board of Arizona State Parks and was a bishop at his church.
A spokesman for the senator said he had planned be in Washington on Wednesday to vote on the motion to go forward on the GOP health care bill.
The vote was delayed when there was not enough support.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.