Retired Sen. Tim Kelly, who earned a reputation as a skilled backstage manager during his long service in the state Legislature, died Monday in Anchorage.
He had just turned 65.
Lisa Nelson, Kelly's wife of 15 years, said her husband died at home in his sleep from long-standing heart and lung problems.
The couple has two children, a daughter Ingrid and a son Theodore, named after former U.S. Sen. Ted Steven, who is his godfather.
A Republican, Kelly was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1976 on his second try. He moved quickly to the Senate when in 1978 he won a squeaker of a race by five votes.
He represented both Eagle River and East Anchorage as the election district lines moved over the years.
In the Senate he chaired a number of committees including the pivotal Senate Rules and was elected Senate president in 1989.
But perhaps more importantly, according to former aide and friend Chris Nelson, Kelly became "the ultimate legislative mechanic ... an insider's insider" who knew how to moderate disputes and defuse prickly differences, resolving problems that threatened Senate work.
"Tim was a guy who absolutely loved the legislative process. He was one of the few people who knew how to end a legislative session so everybody walked away feeling they got something," said Nelson, who currently works for ESGR, a National Guard and Reserve support group. (He is not related to Lisa Nelson.)
In 1990, Kelly took a two-year break from the Legislature to mount an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor. Voters returned him to the Senate in 1992 and 1996.
In 2000, having served 20 years and recently survived a life-threatening heart attack, Kelly chose not to run for re-election. At the time of his death, he was a lobbyist representing medical and insurance clients, among others.
Kelly was born in 1944 in Sacramento, Calif. Before coming to Alaska in 1970, he worked as a legislative aide in California and Nevada. He was in the mortgage banking business here for years. A former Marine, he served in the Alaska Air National Guard and military matters remained a primary focus throughout his legislative career.
In private life, Kelly was a voracious reader and military history buff -- specifically the American Civil War, said his wife. He once developed an interest in Roman history and stayed up all night watching the whole "I Claudius" series, Chris Nelson said, then bought the books. His other pre-occupation was his children.
"The thing that impressed me most about Tim post-legislature was how much he enjoyed hauling his kids around for sports and other stuff," said family friend Charlie Miller. "It was a different side of him that a lot of people didn't see."
Gov. Sean Parnell, who served in the Legislature with Kelly, and his wife Sandy called the family and issued a statement sending "thoughts and prayers to Lisa and the children during this painful time."
By SHEILA TOOMEY
stoomey@adn.com