State Rep. Calvin Hill has died. He was 66.

Hill's wife, Cheryl, told The Associated Press her husband died around 4 p.m. Wednesday after a battle with leukemia. She said he was diagnosed in July with a precursor to leukemia and it progressed quickly.

She described him as "a wonderful, giving man" who died too young.

The Canton Republican was sworn in as a representative in January 2003. House Speaker David Ralston said in a statement that Hill "fought hard for the ideals he believed in and never grew weary of doing what was right."

Before serving in the Legislature, he served two terms as mayor of Ball Ground in the early 1990s.

Hill's biography on the Georgia General Assembly website says he was an entrepreneur who started several businesses.

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