Elmer Cravalho, Maui’s first mayor and former speaker of the State House, died Monday night, according to the office of Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa.

In a written statement Arakawa said: “I’ve known Mayor Cravalho since I was a child. He was a very intelligent man, had a soft heart for people and wasn’t afraid to make a decision or take a chance. Maui certainly would not be the prosperous place it is today if not for him, those number one rankings that Maui gets for ‘Best Island’ and best place to visit are all because of his vision.

“Even after he left office Mayor Cravalho continued to help people when he joined Kula Community Federal Credit Union. He helped almost every farmer stay afloat during tough times, myself included, sometimes on nothing more than a handshake.

“He was a remarkable and amazing man, along with being my mentor and a personal friend. I will personally miss him very much and Ann and I offer our sincerest condolences to his family. Our community joins them in their sorrow.”

In his written statement, Gov. David Ige said: “Former Speaker Cravalho was a trailblazer who helped shaped the Democratic Party and the island of Maui. He will be remembered for his many years in public service, especially his work to support the underprivileged on the Valley Isle.”

Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui, who is from Maui, added: “I send my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Mayor Cravalho, who left an indelible mark in Hawaii history by becoming Maui’s first Mayor. He will also be remembered for the countless contributions he has made as speaker of the State and Territorial House. Everywhere we look on Maui reminds us of his legacy. He will be missed.”

Cravalho began his political career in 1955 when he was elected to the Territorial House of Representative as part of the 1954 Democratic Party upheaval.

It was Cravalho, who relayed the message from then-Territorial Delegate John Burns in Washington, D.C., to a cramped House of Representatives in the Iolani Palace that Congress had approved statehood for Hawaii.

In a 2009 Honolulu Advertiser story, Cravalho reflected on that day and his historic conversation with Delegate Burns in 1959.

A day earlier on March 10, the U.S. Senate had voted 75-15 in favor of the legislation, a milestone in decades-long push for the Territory of Hawaii to formally join the United States. “It was big,” Cravalho said in the 2009 story. “It was very exciting and very historic.”

With the Legislature already in session, the territorial House, then at Iolani Palace, was packed with representatives.

It was still morning in Honolulu when Cravalho took to the rostrum to accept the call by Burns, who made the connection just as the vote in Washington was getting under way.

As Burns reported the action vote by vote, Cravalho on the other end relayed the information.

“It was a very significant and emotional act for our House members,” Cravalho said. “At the announcement of the final tally … (the representatives) rose as a single body without any prompting, sang the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ and ‘Hawaii Pono’i,’ then walked across the street to Kawaiahao Church.”

The U.S. House vote was decisive: 323-89.

Cravalho served as speaker of the Territorial and State House from from 1959-1967.

He was elected as Maui’s first mayor in in 1969 under a new charter provision that established the current political system, and served until 1979 when he suddenly left office after reelection to a second term. As mayor, Cravalho is credited with promoting the development of South Maui.

He also was chairman of Maui Board of Water Supply, one of the eight founding members of the Kula Community Federal Credit Union in 1954, and delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention.

Born in Kula, Cravalho was one of seven children of Mary and Manuel Cravalho, according a video produced in 2012 by Maui High School, where he graduated from in 1944.

In September 2014 at the luau celebrating Maui High School’s 100th birthday, Cravalho recalled catching the bus for an hour-long ride to Maui High at the old Hamakuapoko campus and finding part-time work as a janitor while he was a student.

“It was quite an educational experience,” Cravalho said.

Cravalho recalled that when he was growing up during in the plantation era, area residents sometimes earned wages of 25 cents a hour and bought goods at the store controlled by the plantation. “You were forever in poverty,” he said.

Cravalho was the first student from Hawaii to attend Notre Dame University and graduated in 1950, according to the university’s Hawaii club website.