Former Ohio congressman Charlie Wilson died Sunday in a Florida hospital.
Wilson suffered a stroke on Feb. 21 while vacationing with his family in Florida and was recovering at Cornell Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine. Reports say he fell ill Saturday night and was admitted to Bethesda hospital, where he died Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Wilson's family released the following statement:
"Throughout his extraordinary life, Congressman Wilson was motivated by a desire to serve his country and a passion for the causes most important to the constituents of Southeast and East Ohio. Congressman Wilson served with honor, dignity and an unwavering sense of civic responsibility to the families of our region. Charlie will be remembered for his boundless energy, his honest approach, and his dedication to improving the lives of our future generations. For 14 years Southeast and East Ohio had a champion serving as their voice in Columbus and Washington and our communities are better places for his service."
Wilson was born in 1943 in Dillonvale, Ohio. He was a graduate of Ohio University. He served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1996 to 2004 when he was elected to Congress. In 2010, Wilson, a Democrat, lost re-election to Republican Bill Johnson.
Wilson leaves behind five sons and nine grandchildren. His son, Jason, previously served in the Ohio Senate before becoming director of the Ohio Governor’s Office of Appalachia.
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