Democrats in Idaho were saddened this week to learn that former state lawmaker Hy Kloc had passed away at the age of 75.

A former state representative suffered an unexpected heart attack

According to local Boise news affiliate CBS 2, Kloc unexpectedly suffered a heart attack on Tuesday evening and later died at St. Alphonsus Hospital.

Former representative Hy Kloc has died following a heart attack last night. He served in the state house from 2012-18, and prior to his legislative career, was the development director of Boise State Public Radio.

— Troy Oppie (@GoodBadOppie) December 7, 2022

The station noted that Kloc's life began in a German displaced persons camp where he was born to Polish Holocaust survivors two years after World War II ended.

The future Idaho state representative came to America with his family in 1950 and went on to be raised in New York City.

Kloc was educated at New York City Community College and Western Michigan University before pursuing a media career in Michigan and later Idaho, where he moved in 2000.

CBS 2 explained that Kloc served as chairman of the Boise Census Committee in 2010 and was elected to the board of the Greater Boise Auditorium District in 2011.

Kloc was known for being concerned about animals

From there, Kloc went on to become a member of Idaho's legislature in 2012, an office he held until 2016. During his time in office, Kloc stood out for his advocacy on behalf of animals.

Among his achievements was helping to introduce  Idaho’s "Pet Friendly" license plate, which has thus far raised over $100,000 for the Idaho Humane Society.

Those funds are used to subsidize the cost of veterinary services for low-income Idaho residents as well as provide spaying and neutering services.

Tributes to Kloc quickly appeared on social media, including from the Idaho Democratic Party, which said in a tweet that it would "celebrate his life and enduring legacy."

A son of Holocaust survivors, Rep. Hy Kloc understood the need to stand up to hate and injustice.

We honor and celebrate his life and and enduring legacy.https://t.co/qzwIryvSmj

— Idaho Democratic Party (@IdahoDems) December 8, 2022

Fellow Democratic state Rep. Ilana Rubel spoke up as well, tweeting that she felt "grateful for having shared the planet with Hy."

What a loss but grateful for having shared the planet with Hy. My first morning in #idleg was spent at Hy Kloc’s press conference on early education. He blew me away and I’ll never forget his wisdom & compassion. https://t.co/6xYU1M2mRZ

— Ilana Rubel (@IlanaRubel) December 8, 2022