U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, a University of Arizona alumnus who served Southern Arizona in the House of Representatives for more than two decades, died on Thursday. He was 77.

Grijalva's office announced his death, which was attributed to complications from cancer treatment.

U of A President Suresh Garimella said Grijalva was among his first phone calls after Garimella took office in October.

"A gracious and kind man, he was a steadfast champion of the university's land-grant mission, and a tireless public servant dedicated to our community, state and nation," Garimella said in a statement on Thursday. "Congressman Grijalva's legacy is a testament to what it means to be a Wildcat for Life, leaving an indelible mark on Arizona and beyond, and inspiring others to lead with purpose and service."

Thomas Volgy, a professor in the School of Government and Public Policy, served on the Tucson City Council from 1977 to 1987 and then as mayor until 1991, overlapping with Grijalva's time in local elected office.

"Raúl truly exemplified what it means to be in public service," Volgy said. "He dedicated his life to helping those in need, for seeking justice for those who did not enjoy the fruits of the American dream, and he worked for both social and environmental progress. He was loved by those who knew him, and in turn he made us all proud to have him as our representative. For those of us who are part of the U of A community, we can take great pride that he was one of us."

Grijalva's political career spanned more than a half century of service to Southern Arizonans and Americans, "driven by community values and spirit," the office's statement said. Grijalva served on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board for 12 years beginning in 1974, then on the Pima County Board of Supervisors for 13 years starting in 1989.

He was elected to Congress in 2002. Over 12 terms, Grijalva eventually led the House Natural Resources Committee, where he was a voice for environmental causes, people from low-income communities, the sovereignty of Native American tribes and improved access to public health. His office specifically noted Grijalva's work on bills that designated the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon and strengthened the Affordable Care Act.

His passion was preserving the planet, his office said, with Grijalva often telling those around him, "It's for the babies."

Grijalva was born in Pima County, the son of a father who farmed land under the Bracero Program, a partnership between the U.S. and Mexico that allowed Mexican farmers to come to the U.S. Grijalva grew up on Tucson's south side and attended Sunnyside High School. 

That's likely where he learned firsthand the value of grit and determination, said Adriana Grijalva, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona and a relative who says she is a distant niece.

"If you're a south side kid, you've had to push hard for things you've wanted," Adriana Grijalva said, adding that his career inspired her to choose a career in public service. She is studying political science with a minor in communication.

"Since I was little, he always told me to reach big for my dreams, and he was definitely somebody who made a huge impact on others," she added. "He was always about people."

Grijalva enrolled in the U of A in 1967 and was active in Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanos de Aztlán, or MEChA, a student-led national organization that advocates for Mexican American and Chicano studies programs in higher education.

The university's Department of Mexican American Studies, in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, did not exist when Grijalva first began. He was part of another student movement that led to the establishment of what eventually became the department, said Anna Ochoa O'Leary, head of the department. 

Grijalva earned his Bachelor of Arts in sociology in 1987. He served for a time as assistant dean of Hispanic student affairs in the late 1980s.

He was one of many Grijalvas who are Wildcats for life. Two of his daughters, Adelita and Marisa Grijalva, are both graduates – Adelita Grijalva, vice chair on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, earned a bachelor's in political science in 1995, and Marisa Grijalva earned a bachelor's degree in communication studies in 1998. Grijalva's wife, Ramona Grijalva, earned a master's degree in library sciences in 1971.

Grijalva, Adriana Grijalva said, remained an educator at heart, always staying in touch with students and eager to learn what they had planned for careers.

"I think that's something he's had since he was little," she added. "He was always the spark to inspire others, and he wanted to be that change-maker."