State flags will fly at half-mast Wednesday in honor of Alaska Rep. Carl Gatto, 74, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who passed away Tuesday. Rep. Bill Stoltze announced Gatto's death on the House floor, thankful that he only had a few minutes to do it so he could maintain a whisper-thin veil of composure.
"It hit a lot of people like a punch in the stomach," House Majority Press Secretary Will Vandergriff said Tuesday afternoon. "The air went out of the building today."
The House adjourned for the day immediately following word of Gatto's death. He'd been battling prostate cancer and had missed the early part of this legislative session to undergo radiation treatment. He leaves behind a wife and four grown children.
Even after the House gaveled out for the day, the pall over the capitol building remained.
Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, was visibly shaken by the news. He said that although he believes there is a heaven and that his friend is there, there's an emptiness in the building without Gatto.
Gatto and Stoltze served together on nearly twin legislative paths, rooming together for their freshman and sophomore years as newly-elected Republican representatives from Southcentral Alaska's Mat-Su region. Stoltze answered to voters in the Chugiak-Mat-Su area, Gatto claimed Palmer.
Sometime around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Stoltze learned that Gatto, who was finishing his fifth term in office, had passed away. Prostate cancer he'd fought as long as Stoltze knew Gatto had finally beaten the public servant who'd earned a reputation as a tenacious fighter for Alaskans.
Gatto flew to Seattle for treatment last Friday after being hospitalized overnight to treat dehydration and a kidney condition. His declining health caused him to miss a retirement party that members of the House had planned for him. The celebration continued on even though Gatto couldn't be present.
Gatto loved his job as a lawmaker and took its responsibilities seriously, Stoltze said.
Gatto's drive came from what he called his strong core beliefs – family values from which everything he did flowed. "It wouldn't be hard for me to say first I am a child of God. Second, I am a dad. Third, I am a husband. And then fourth I might be a legislator," he said in a 2011 interview one month into the start of the 27th legislation session. "What I do here should reflect what is really best for the people in the state."
He put his energy into new or revised laws he believed would improve lives in the Last Frontier.
Most recently, he backed loosening the state's existing "duty-to-retreat" legislation, eliminating the burden that, if possible, victims of violent aggressors must try to get away from a confrontation rather than stand their ground.
He thought a 90-day legislative session – a relatively recent change – was a poor use of legislators time. Lawmakers get paid to work regardless of whether they work 90 days or more, and there's more than 90 days worth of work to do, he reasoned.
And he backed legislation that would make it easier for prosecutors to go after arsonists who planned their crimes with another person.
In prior years he took on the cruise industry, believing they should be taxed more heavily. A resident of a rural community, he had a fondness for agriculture and was an ever-present supporter of programs like the Future Farmers of America.
He had a direct role in getting a new building constructed for the Palmer Senior Center, and in pushing the state to reimburse a large portion of the cost of construction for schools -- a move that was responsible for laying the groundwork to finance the new Clark Middle School in Anchorage.
Gatto's role was "instrumental" in getting many of these bills passed, said another legislative colleague, Max Gruenberg, an Anchorage Democrat.
Early in his political career, Gatto enjoyed other successes: helping pass a bill that required the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in new buildings; allowing victims of arson to receive compensation that is extended to other victims of violent crimes; pushing to ban texting while driving.
"He was a great guy. We all loved him," Gruenberg said.
Gatto wasn't a strict, party-line voter. Democrat Les Gara, who was elected in the same class as Gatto, said the two were good friends. Particularly early on, some constituents and fellow legislators confused the two, Gara said. They both arrived in Juneau at the same time, they were both from New York, their last names were similar and they both looked, in Gara's words, "ethnic."
Even though they were in different parties, "We found a huge amount of common ground," Gara said.
Stoltze doesn't know why Gatto picked up from the East Coast and moved across the country in 1968. But there's no question that after planting his roots in Alaska, Gatto, a native New Yorker, made it home.
He enjoyed being a part of a larger community and made sure he spent time with the people in it. He went to the funerals of military members. He hung out at the senior center. He answered hand-written letters from school children. He volunteered with youth. As an avid runner, he could often be found serving as race director for any number of runs or charity walks.
"For Carl, it was not political. It was a real passion," Stoltze said.
With each passing week, Stoltze could see that the inevitable was drawing near for his friend. He now treasures a 45-minute talk he shared with Gatto in a hospital room before Easter. They men talked little of their work as public servants, and enjoyed a conversation that meanders far and wide when there is much to discuss and little time left to do it. In his typical, unselfish fashion, Gatto was less focused on himself on more on wanting to make sure his family got on with their lives, and that his friends would be there to pick up where he left off, Stoltze said.
"I don't think anybody ever wants to die but I think that Carl was very spiritually at peace," Stoltze said.
"Alaska has lost a great public servant who will be remembered for his wit and wisdom, his commitment to education and veterans' issues, and his unwavering support for the people of the Mat-Su," Gov. Sean Parnell said in a prepared statement.
After moving to Alaska in 1968, Gatto served with the Anchorage Fire Department from 1974 to 2000. He was first elected to the Alaska Legislature in 2002, representing Palmer residents in House District 13.
Alaska Dispatch reporter Amanda Coyne contributed to this report. Contact Jill Burke at jill(at)alaskadispatch.com