ATLANTA — Whether working in the Georgia Capitol or the U.S. Capitol, Johnny Isakson impacted so many lives in Georgia and around the country. His life of service came to and end Sunday when he died following a battle with Parkinson’s at age 76.
Senator Isakson started out as a state representative in the Georgia House of Representatives and then a state senator before heading to Washington, D.C. as a congressman and senator.
Even as his health began to deteriorate towards the end of his time of service, his constituents say he fought for them as hard as ever.
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After his death, elected officials and constituents alike began an outpouring of love for him.
The 76-year-old was praised for his bipartisanship, which is what former WSB-TV anchor and current political analyst John Pruitt says made him so beloved.
“Johnny Isakson was a Georgia giant in the political world,” Pruitt told Channel 2′s Matt Johnson. “He was a statesman in every regard. And because of that, he was widely admired and universally liked. He was probably the most popular man in the U.S. Senate.”
Isakson was a champion for veterans, creating legislation like the Isakson and Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act that took effect this year.
“He did enormous things for veterans. He was a man who was always willing to step in and do what needed to be done,” Pruitt said.
Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, he ran for a third time in 2015, and continued fighting for causes dear to him.
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“It was very interesting to meet a senator such a powerful figure, and he was actually just a humble guy,” said cardiologist Dr. Heval Kelli.
Kelli says he met Isakson in 2019 to discuss how to help Syrian refugees like himself. He says Isakson listened and networked for him, even in poor health.
“Even though it was his last few months of this term, he was still wanted to help, despite being sick at that time and leaving office. So it just speaks highly of his work,” Kelli told Johnson.
It wasn’t until 2019 that he retired and left the Senate due to health reasons.
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Isakson’s legacy will live on forever and Pruitt says more politicians could learn a thing or two from how Isakson served Georgia.
“Always as a gentleman, always thinking the best of people, and as a result of that they thought the best of him. So that’s what I’m hoping, I think all of us could hope for a more civil discourse in the rough and tumble world of politics,” Pruitt said.
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