In memoriam.

• Position: People & Politics - Obituary - Brief article

Jake Flake, one of Arizona's last cowboy legislators, died of a heart attack in June following a fall at his home near Snowflake. Flake, 72, began his legislative career in the House in 1997, where he was speaker for one term. He moved to the Senate in 2005 and was unopposed in his re-election bid in November. He was born and grew up in Snowflake, the town founded by his grandfather. He and three of his brothers took over the family ranch and expanded the F Bar Cattle Company into one of the largest operations in the Southwest, selling heifers and bulls throughout the region and in Mexico. Just two weeks before he died, Flake was riding the range and took a fall, but promised he would return to the Capitol before the end...