Former Missouri Gov. Christopher Bond Dies at 86

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Tuesday announced the death of longtime Missouri political leader, former governor and senator Christopher 'Kit' Bond. Bond was 86.

"Kit Bond was a skilled statesman, public servant, and a man who truly loved Missouri. I am blessed to have known Kit and honored to call him a friend and a mentor," Kehoe posted in a release.

Kehoe has ordered U.S. and Missouri flags to be flown at half-staff at government buildings and grounds statewide beginning Tuesday through the day Bond is laid to rest.

Kehoe said, "Kit, always with his trademark smile and sense of humor, was a fierce advocate for Missouri throughout his accomplished 40-year career of public service." He added that Bond "kept Missouri's interests at heart, both in office and out, making our state a better place to live, work, and raise a family."

Newsmax reported on Bond's staunch advocacy for the Peace Corps: "In his last months in the Senate, Bond is helping to build not only a new Peace Corps but also a new kind of Republican Party, positive in its outlook, creative in its thinking, and daring in its proposals."

"On behalf of all Missourians," said Kehoe, "[my wife] Claudia and I share our deepest condolences and offer our prayers for his wife Linda, his son Sam, and the entire Bond family."