On an emotional day at the Statehouse, House lawmakers Tuesday tearfully honored East Chicago Representative Earl Harris, who passed away Monday.
House Minority Leader Scott Pelath says after the shock of Monday's news, sadness was setting in among Harris' colleagues.
The 73-year-old East Chicago Democrat, who served in the House since 1983, had been battling cancer.
Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, who came into the House the same year, calls Harris was a dedicated public servant.
"Even his last day, he was thinking about doing work for the district and for individuals in the district," Brown remembers.
Rep. Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, a longtime colleague, says Harris had an important influence on the legislature.
"The one thing he knew how to do was to calm the storms and bring the ship home," Bauer says. "Today, Earl's up there and continues to calm the storm."
Pelath says Harris' most important quality was that he was a true gentleman, a legacy Pelath says he hopes will live on.