SPRINGFIELD – Former state senator and U.S. Rep. Dave Hobson of Springfield died on Sunday at the age of 87.

Hobson’s state and U.S. Congressional districts included Champaign County during his time in office.

Hobson’s 18 years in Congress included successful efforts to improve military housing and boost federal funding for defense research at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Hobson died at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton after a short illness, his family said in a statement.

“To us, he was a husband and a dad, but he played countless other roles of which we’ve been reminded: a leader, a problemsolver, a counselor, a business partner, a friend — the list goes on,” they said in a statement. “Even in our sadness we have laughed hearing old stories, and it has reminded us all over again why so many people loved him. We miss him desperately but are also grateful that he’s at peace.”

Hobson was first elected to Congress in 1990 to fill a southwestern Ohio seat vacated when fellow Republican Mike DeWine, now Ohio governor, became Ohio’s lieutenant governor. Hobson served until 2009. He worked to improve and privatize military housing and to fund research and development programs at Wright-Patterson, located in his district, and at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

He later served as president of Vorys Advisors LLC, an affiliate of the Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease law firm.

In 2004, while representing Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, Hobson helped establish a visitor center and memorial at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, which honors U.S. soldiers killed in World War II. Hobson helped secure funding for the $30 million project.

The memorial, dedicated in 2007, features photos and audio recounting when soldiers stormed the French coastline on D-Day, June 6, 1944, in a pivotal battle. It leads onto the 172.5-acre (70-hectare) cemetery, which overlooks Omaha Beach. The site also features Walls of the Missing, inscribed with 1,557 names of the lost or unidentified in a semicircular garden and a Garden of the Missing.

Hobson was born in Cincinnati in 1936. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan and a law degree from Ohio State University. Hobson also served in the Air National Guard from 1958 to 1963, later earning a spot in the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

Before being elected to Congress, he spent nearly a decade in the Ohio Senate, where he was president pro tempore and majority whip.

“He was truly a good man who cared about his neighbors, his neighborhood, and the people of Ohio,” the chamber said in a statement, which added that Hobson was “very well respected by his colleagues.”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued the following statement about Hobson’s passing:

“Today Fran and I are deeply saddened to learn of the death of our friend, former Congressman David Hobson.

“Dave and I worked closely together for many years. When I went from the Ohio Senate to Congress, he replaced me as a state senator and when I left Congress to become Ohio Lieutenant Governor he won my former seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was extremely effective in each position, achieving tangible results for his district and the country. Dave worked well with everyone and both Democrats and Republicans appreciated his good judgment and ability to reach common ground. He was a patriot and always wanted to do what was in America’s best interests.

“As a member of the Ohio Senate, Dave was chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Human Services and Aging where he authored Ohio’s first comprehensive AIDS legislation and passed the first grant programs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

“As a member of Congress, Dave worked tirelessly for the citizens of his district and our country. Dave served in the Ohio Air National Guard and was passionate about our military and their family members, ensuring that they received the pay, housing, and health care they deserved. I remember talking with him about housing for our military families overseas. Dave didn’t like the conditions he had seen on a trip to visit our troops, and, in typical Dave Hobson fashion, he went back to Washington and went to work to ensure that conditions improved.

“Dave was an advocate for the Miami Valley region, including the National Guard Air Base in Springfield, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. The growth and success of both bases in the region are a tribute to his foresight and tenacity on behalf of his constituents and Ohio.

“Dave, in his retirement, continued to be an advocate for Springfield and all of his old district. That work continued up until his death.

“He brought compassion, practicality, and wisdom to everything he did. He was a true public servant for his district, the Miami Valley, and the state of Ohio.

“Dave was my friend – an honorable, dedicated, and steadfast public servant. I always looked forward to hearing from Dave as he shared his advice and counsel, and luckily for me, that was a frequent occurrence!

“His wife Carolyn, who is his Ohio Wesleyan sweetheart and lifetime partner; their children Susan, Lynn and Doug and their spouses; and their fabulous grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought immense joy to his life. Fran and I will miss him, and send our condolences to them and his entire family.”

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) offered his condolences to Hobson’s family. Brown served with Hobson in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2007. Brown issued the following statement:

“Dave Hobson embodied the best of Ohio, the state he loved and served his entire life. When I first came to Congress, Dave and I worked together to create the Western Reserve National Cemetery for Ohio veterans – it wasn’t in his district, but he loved our state and understood the importance of serving Ohio veterans everywhere. Dave also understood how important the aerospace industry is to Dayton and to our state – he is one of the reasons Ohio is the number one aerospace state in the country. He always put politics aside to protect our national security and ensure that Wright Patterson Air Force Base remains the crown jewel of the Air Force.

“Whether in Congress or retirement, Dave always worked to deliver for his beloved Springfield, for the Miami Valley, and for Ohio, and he’d work with anyone, of either party, to get things done for our state.

“Connie and I send our deepest condolences to Carolyn and their family. He’ll be missed.”

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In honor of the life and service of Hobson, DeWine has ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio to be lowered upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Champaign, Clark, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Logan, Perry, Pickaway, Ross, and Union counties, as well as, the Ohio Statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center, and the Rhodes State Office Tower today until the day of his funeral.

All other public buildings and grounds throughout the state may fly the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio at half-staff at their discretion for the same time period.