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Former Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) died early Thursday morning in a Chicago-area hospital, according to congressional sources. He was 83.

Hyde underwent open-heart surgery back in July and never completely recovered from the procedure, said a source close to Hyde.

Hyde served 32 years in the House, beginning in 1974, including stints as chairman of the Judiciary and International Relations committees. He also served in the Illinois legislature for eight years.

Hyde was chairman of the Judiciary panel during the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton in 1998. Salon.com reported in September 1998 that Hyde had carried on an extramarital affair in the late 1960s, for which Hyde publicly apologized. Hyde infamously called the affair a “youthful indiscretion,” although he was more than 40 years old when it happened.

The courtly Hyde, a former Illinois state legislator, was known for his strong opposition to abortion. Hyde was the author of an 1977 amendment, which is still in place today, barring the use of federal funds to pay for abortions.

Hyde is survived by a wife and three children. His oldest son, Henry ”Hank” Hyde Jr., died nearly two years ago of liver cancer.

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) issued the following statement on Hyde:

“I have long included Henry Hyde among my heroes, and for the 16 years I served with him in the House, I was honored to call him a mentor, a colleague and a friend. Henry was a student of American history, a constitutional scholar, a thoughtful legislator and a passionate orator. But above all, he will be remembered as a gentleman who stood as a beacon for the bedrock principles of liberty, justice and, above all, respect for life. His work in crafting the Mexico City policy, for example, remains among his most significant accomplishments in Congress, and it will forever be remembered as a defining moment for the pro-life cause.”

The nation has lost a dedicated public servant and the pro-life movement has lost one of its earliest and most dedicated heroes. Henry Hyde has passed away. Hyde served for 32 years as a Congressman from Illinois, and retired last year.

The Corner correctly notes that the Hyde Amendment, which prohibited the public funding of abortions through Medicaid, is the most important and longest-lasting piece of pro-life legislation to ever pass through Congress. Hyde was also a key proponent of the FMLA, the House manager of the Clinton impeachment, and legislation providing redress for citizens who are the victim of unjust prosecution. Hyde was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this month, but his health prevented him from attending the ceremony.

RIP, Mr. Hyde. You will be missed.