State Rep. Theodore “Ted” Kryzak Jr. of Acton has died.
Kryzak, 66, was serving his second term in the Maine House of Representatives, representing Acton, Lebanon and part of Shapleigh. A notice published by a local funeral home indicates that Kryzak died Saturday. No cause of death has been released.
Rep. Theodore Kryzak
Gov. Janet Mills and legislative leaders from both parties issued statements Monday praising Kryzak, a Republican who was a teacher and a farmer and served as a town selectman before his election to the Maine House in 2018. John Bott, a spokesman for House Republicans, said Kryzak had been ill but that he had no further details.
He is the third sitting lawmaker to die this year. Rep. John Tuttle Jr., D-Sanford, and Rep. Donna Doore, D-Augusta, died in January.
House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, and House Minority Leader Kathleen Dillingham, R-Oxford, announced Kryzak’s death in a joint statement, remembering him as someone who cared deeply about his community.
Fecteau noted that he and Kryzak, a former teacher, shared a love of career and technical education.
“Today, we mourn the loss of Rep. Kryzak, our friend and colleague in the Maine Legislature,” Fecteau said. “Rep. Kryzak stood up for his neighbors in Augusta. I admired his local efforts to distribute food so that no child or senior in the area went hungry. Ted and I both believed strongly in career and technical education. I know how much Representative Kryzak cared for his community. He was very involved locally. Ted loved representing his constituents and was very proud of being from Acton. We will miss him.”
Dillingham said Kryzak, a ranking member of the Taxation Committee, had a strong work ethic – something he learned tending his 180-acre farm. He previously served as chairman of the Action Board of Selectmen.
“Representative Kryzak was a great man,” she said. “He certainly brought the work ethic straight from operating a 180-acre working farm to his work in Augusta. He was a joy to work with. He will be sorely missed in the Legislature and in his district where he served on numerous Acton organizations including overseeing finance and school committee responsibilities, and as a member of the Acton select board. We extend our condolences to his family, friends and the communities he was so involved in; Acton, Lebanon and Shapleigh.”
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and Sen. President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, also released statements mourning Kryzak’s death.
“I was saddened to learn of the passing of Representative Kryzak,” Mills said. “He cared deeply for his neighbors – the people of Acton, Lebanon, and Shapleigh – and he represented them with goodwill and unwavering dedication in the Legislature. I extend my sincere condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”
Jackson said he was saddened to learn of Kryzak’s death Monday morning, saying they were able to find areas of agreement despite their ideological differences.
“Although I only served with him a short while, it was clear that Rep. Kryzak was a Mainer who loved his community and loved this state,” he said. “In his spare time, he could often be found delivering milk to those in need in his community. Despite our ideological differences, I always appreciated how we were able to find common ground on issues that were important to both of us.
“On behalf of the entire Maine Senate,” he added. “I want to extend my deepest condolences to Rep. Kryzak’s family, friends and loved ones. Please know that we are thinking of you as you mourn this tremendous loss.”
Kryzak is survived by his four children and grandchildren.
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