Eugene Peltola, husband of Rep. Mary Peltola, died after a plane accident in Alaska.

Eugene Peltola, husband of Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), died following a plane accident in Alaska, her office announced Wednesday morning.

“We are devastated to share that Mary’s husband, Eugene Peltola Jr. — ”Buzzy” to all of us who knew and loved him — passed away earlier this morning following a plane accident in Alaska,” said Anton McParland, Rep. Peltola’s chief of staff, in a statement.

McParland said the congresswoman would return to Alaska to be with her family and asked for privacy.

The note from Rep. Peltola’s office noted Eugene’s “delightful sense of humor that lightened the darkest moments” and his cooking talents.

Eugene Peltola served as regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Alaska, overseeing offices in Fairbanks and Anchorage and services provided to 227 federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. He was of Yupik and Tlingit descent and had served on Orutsararmiut Native Council, a federally recognized tribal government.