Alan Nunnelee, Mississippi congressman, dies at 56

WASHINGTON - Rep. Alan Nunnelee, a Mississippi Republican and part of the historic 2010 GOP wave election that gave the party control of the House, died Friday, the family confirmed. He was 56.

Nunnelee, who was serving his third term, underwent brain surgery last June and had been in and out of hospitals and rehabilitation centers the past year.

Nunnelee's family in a statement said: "Congressman Alan Nunnelee has gone home to be with Jesus. He was well loved and will be greatly missed."

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant called Nunnelee, "the best man I have ever known."

"Alan Nunnelee has been like a brother to me and was one of my dearest friends and companions," Bryant said. "I will miss him greatly. Deborah and I are praying for Tori and their children."

He was hospitalized again Dec. 28 in Mississippi and was unable to take the oath of office for the 114th Congress on Jan. 6 with other lawmakers. Nunnelee was sworn in a week later by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.

A former Mississippi state senator, Nunnelee served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. He was vice chairman of the panel's Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies.

In 2011, Nunnelee, a fiscal conservative, was one of three GOP freshmen given a coveted seat on the Appropriations Committee.

Nunnelee was "highly respected in the House,'' former Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott said recently.

He unseated Democratic Rep. Travis Childers in 2010 to win the House seat.

"I'm deeply saddened by the news of Congressman Nunnelee's passing," Childers said. "On behalf of my family, I send our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Tori, and their children. Our love for North Mississippi is something Congressman Nunnelee and I always shared, and I thank him for his service to our state."

Nunnelee, a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee, represented the mostly rural 1st Congressional District in northern Mississippi. Before that, he served in the state Senate from 1995 to 2011 and was chairman of the Appropriations Committee from 2008 to 2011.

After first arriving in Congress, Nunnelee drew a decidedly unlucky number in the lottery for House office suites: No. 84 out of 85.

"That's why I stay away from the casinos," he joked at the time.

But he said he didn't care where his office was, "as long as the front door says 'Member of Congress.'"

Nunnelee was known as an amiable congressman who often talked publicly about his faith.

He opposed abortion and said he was proud of his work as a state lawmaker to regulate abortions in Mississippi.

As chairman of the state Senate Public Health Committee, he led efforts in 2007 to revamp the state health department. He also was a leader in tort reform efforts in the Mississippi Legislature.

Democratic state Sen. Hob Bryan Nunnelee recalled Nunnelee's sense of fairness and propriety that he said transcended politics and partisanship.

"He cared very much about the process, about making sure everyone was treated with respect and dignity," said Bryan, a good friend of Nunnelee's.

Bryan recalled when Nunnelee was chairman of the state Appropriations Committee he approached him about proposed changes to Senate rules and asked his input.

"He was concerned with propriety, that the procedures were fair so that any lawmaker, even if they weren't in the leadership and no matter their party got a fair shot at convincing others,'' Bryan said.

Bryan said he was sad to see Nunnelee leave for Congress."I told him, you're ruining two perfectly good legislative bodies," Bryan said. "He knew what I meant.''

Former Gov. Haley Barbour said he and Nunnelee were friends before either were elected to state office.

"I always liked him, but I really came to respect him when he was in the Senate," Barbour said. "… In my second term, he was chairman of Appropriations, which was a very powerful position. But he never had any ego about him. He was as pure a public servant as I have ever worked with. He was honorable and honest and was committed to doing what was right, even if it didn't gain him any votes."

In Congress, Nunnelee joined other GOP freshmen in pushing Republican leaders for more spending cuts.

"There may have been an attitude in this town at one time that freshmen are to be seen and not heard, but I don't think that's the case with this leadership team and with this Republican Congress," Nunnelee said in 2010 interview with Gannett. "We are the group of people that put the Republicans into the majority and we are a reflection of the concerns of the American people."

A year into his first term, Nunnelee said he felt frustrated with the partisanship in Washington.

A graduate of Clinton High School and Mississippi State University, Nunnelee was in the insurance business in Tupelo for many years. He later won the state Senate seat (representing Lee and Pontotoc counties) that Republican Roger Wicker had held before Wicker won election to the U.S. House in 1994.

Tupelo mayor Jason Shelton, where Nunnelee lived with his family, said, "It's just a tragic loss for our community and the first congressional district. He served in the state legislature and in congress very honorably. Had a tremendous impact for the state of Mississippi.

"In the wake of the tornado that hit the city of Tupelo in April of last year, he and his office were with us just every step of the way. He wasn't just calling, but he was here and hands-on and very engaged from the moment it happened. He truly went above and beyond the call of duty – not just as a congressman, but as a resident fighting for his hometown."

Nunnelee joined Wicker, now a senator, on the campaign trail last June for Republican Sen. Thad Cochran.

Nunnelee easily won his last two House elections. In 2012, he defeated Democrat Brad Morris, Childers' former chief of staff.

John Bruce, chair of the political science department at the University of Mississippi, described Nunnelee as a "solid member of Congress,'' whose legislative style was much more understated than other lawmakers.

"He's never been flashy. He's never been at the front of big high-profile issues,'' said Bruce. "He's more of a quiet guy.''

During his congressional career, Nunnelee voted with Republicans on most issues, including the push to repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called "a train wreck.''

He also supported legislation to delay increases in federal flood insurance premiums for many homeowners. He voted for a five-year farm bill that ended direct payments to farmers and expanded popular crop insurance programs while cutting federal food assistance. Both bills ultimately became law.

Nunnelee said the farm bill was "far from perfect," but would provide some certainty to the state's agricultural industry.

Last May, Nunnelee sought care at a Washington hospital for nausea and fatigue. His office said then that doctors had found a "small intracranial mass'' on the right side of his brain.

Nunnelee underwent brain surgery in June at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, then went to a rehabilitation center there. That same month, he transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where he received chemotherapy and radiation.

Nunnelee had been receiving speech and mobility therapy in Mississippi and Washington. He returned to his congressional office on Nov. 12, working for several weeks before the chamber left for a holiday break Dec. 12.

During that time, Congress approved measures proposed by Nunnelee, including one to clarify language that will allow trucks with special permits to continue carrying additional weight from Highway 78 to Interstate 22 in Mississippi. That measure became law,

Another of Nunnelee's measures, to transfer 172 acres of the Yellow Creek Port area to the state, also became law last year.

Nunnelee's health declined again over the holidays.

In early January, his office said the congressman was being treated in Tupelo for a hematoma — a swelling of clotted blood caused by a break in a blood vessel —in his left leg that had developed over the holidays.

Earlier in life, Nunnelee began losing his eyesight to a degenerative disease, keratoconus, and he became legally blind while a student at Mississippi State University. His eyesight was restored through corneal transplants in 1980 and 1982.

Nunnelee is survived by his wife, Tori, and three children, Reed, Emily and Nathan.

Gov. Phil Bryant issues statement on the passing of Alan Nunnelee

"Alan Nunnelee has been like a brother to me and was one of my dearest friends and companions. I will miss him greatly. Deborah and I are praying for Tori and their children. He was the best man I've ever known."

Congressman Bennie G. Thompson

"I am deeply saddened by the death of my colleague Congressman Alan Nunnelee. Alan was a family man that will be missed tremendously. I offer my condolences to his beloved wife Tori and to his entire family. Throughout our service together in Washington, Alan would always remember to ask about my family each time we spoke, especially my grandchildren. We worked together on multiple issues to help improve the lives of Mississippians; he was always friendly, passionate and cooperative on the issues."

Secretary of state Delbert Hosemann

"Mississippi has lost a statesman, patriot, long-time public servant and valued leadership for our future and for our country. Rarely does one individual possess these talents. Alan possessed them all. Lynn and I are praying for Tori and his family."

State Treasurer Lynn Fitch

"I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend Congressman Nunnelee. Though he was a great Representative in Washington, his heart was in Mississippi. This is where he raised a family, built a business, and helped pass legislation that has left our state better. A man of great faith, he was always eager to give advice or tell a story. Even during his darkest hours, he remained selfless. He constantly looked for ways to help others while continuing to inspire those around him. Mississippi may have lost a great man, but our state is better for having known him. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time."

U.S. Senator Thad Cochran

"We have lost a true public servant with the passing of Alan Nunnelee, who dedicated so much of his life to improving Mississippi. I am grateful for his friendship and all he accomplished for our state. My thoughts and prayers are with Tori and the entire Nunnelee family at this sad time."

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Deborah Barfield Berry reports for USA TODAY. Geoff Pender reports for the (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion Ledger.

Contact Deborah Barfield Berry at dberry@gannett.com. Twitter: @dberrygannett