Floridians honored the lifelong public servant not just for his 23 days as governor, but his time as a state legislator, congressman and diplomat.

Kenneth "Buddy" MacKay, Florida's most recent Democratic governor who took office on the death of Gov. Lawton Chiles, has died at age 91.

Although MacKay did not serve as governor for long, those who know him said he handled those three weeks with class and redefined the lieutenant governor role.

Former Florida Gov. Kenneth “Buddy” MacKay, 91, died peacefully during an afternoon nap at his home in Ocala surrounded by his wife and sons on New Year’s Eve, a family spokesman said Thursday. MacKay’s decades-long public-service career included stints as a state legislator, U.S. representative, lieutenant governor and — briefly — governor.

Former Florida Gov. Kenneth “Buddy” MacKay, 91, died peacefully during an afternoon nap at his home in Ocala surrounded by his wife and sons on New Year’s Eve, a family spokesman said Thursday.

Former Gov. Buddy MacKay, a longtime Florida politician who became governor for nearly a month following the abrupt death of Gov. Lawton Chiles in late 1998, died in his sleep on Tuesday afternoon surrounded by his adult sons and wife, Anne.

MacKay was considered the troubleshooter for former Gov. Lawton Chiles and played major roles in responding to Hurricane Andrew, financial crises and other issues during his tenure as lieutenant governor in the 1990's.

OCALA, Fla. — Former Florida Gov. Buddy MacKay passed away at the age of 91. MacKay served in the military, the Florida House and the Florida Senate before he served as lieutenant governor under then-governor and Democrat Lawton Chiles. Chiles then had a heart attack and died in December of that year.

John Kennedy, Florida Capital Bureau reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper, spoke with FOX 35's Garrett Wymer about covering Buddy MacKay and how history will remember him. MacKay, 91, died on New Year's Eve at his home in Ocala.