Ben Stevens, the former Republican president of the Alaska Senate, collapsed during a trip with his wife and died last week.

The 63-year-old Stevens was hiking on a path in the Chugach National Forest near Seward, according to a Friday press release from the Alaska State Troopers.

Thursday at 5:57 p.m., they reported being summoned to “a medical emergency with CPR in progress.”

About 45 minutes later, LifeMed paramedics arrived at the site, but they were unable to resuscitate Stevens. His remains were reportedly taken to Anchorage, according to the announcement.

Friday, the Anchorage Republican Women ascribed Stevens’ death to a heart attack in a Facebook post. “His wife, Elizabeth, and Ben were hiking when Ben collapsed. … Our sympathy goes out to his family,” the group said.

Stevens has held several notable roles in Alaskan politics and industry during the course of his career.

His father, Republican Senator Ted Stevens, represented Alaska from December 1968 to December 2009 in the United States Senate. 2010 saw the death of the elder Stevens in an aircraft disaster.

KTUU-TV stated that Ben Stevens was nominated to the Alaska state Senate by then-Governor Tony Knowles in 2001 and served as its president in 2005 and 2006.

According to the Alaska Beacon, Stevens and five other state legislators had their offices raided by the FBI in 2006 in conjunction with a corruption probe.

In relation to this probe, the senator was never charged with a crime, but he opted not to seek for office again.

In 2018, he accepted a post as governor Mike Dunleavy’s chief of staff.

According to KTUU, Stevens went to ConocoPhillips Alaska in 2012, where he served as vice president of external affairs and transportation.

More on this story via The Western Journal:

Upon news of his death, the petroleum refinery company’s president issued a statement mourning his loss.

“The entire ConocoPhillips family is deeply saddened by the sudden passing on Thursday evening of our friend and colleague, Ben Stevens,” Erec Isaacson said Friday. “Our sympathies are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. CONTINUE READING…