The father of U.S. Congressman Garret Graves, John Graves, passed away Saturday (Jan. 16) afternoon from complications dealing with COVID-19, according to the congressman. 

A press release from Garret Graves said:

“Thank you to all of the awesome friends and complete strangers who have been praying for my father and our family. You are never ready for this, but Dad’s passing caught us all by surprise. He has one of those awesome American Dream stories that inspired our entire family. His father died when he was young, he worked multiple jobs to help the family, worked his way through college and eventually owned his own business that trained so many engineers across south Louisiana. We ask for prayers and privacy during this time of grieving.”

The Graves family will provide additional details later on services as they become available.