Former Sen. Mark Pryor, Clinton administration officials remember late Gov. David Pryor during memorial at Arkansas Capitol

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A weekend of remembrance for a political giant in Arkansas has started, bringing in people across the country to pay their respects.

Former Arkansas Gov. David Pryor, who also served the Natural State as a U.S. senator and congressman, died Saturday at 89 years old.

David Pryor, former Arkansas governor, U.S. congressman and senator, dies at 89

As Pryor was lying in state in the State Capitol Rotunda Friday ahead of funeral proceedings, many notable figures in Arkansas politics, Republicans and Democrats alike, stopped to say goodbye and pay their final respects.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her husband spent time with Pryor’s family Friday morning visiting, a sign of support following Pryor’s appearance at the Republican governor’s inauguration last year. Pryor also sat with the General Assembly during Sanders’ first legislative address as governor.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders orders flags to half-staff in memory of former Gov. David Pryor

The bipartisan respect shown politically and personally for Pryor was a fitting example for the life the former public servant lived, according to his loved ones. Several friends and family members told KARK 4 News about how Pryor went beyond party lines and earned respect from everyone because of his impact and his heart, not just his policies.

Pryor was known to have been a force at the ballot box for decades, with his political career starting in the 1960s in the Arkansas House of Representatives before moving on to U.S. Congress, serving for two terms.

He eventually came back to Arkansas and ran for governor, winning in 1975 after defeating former Gov. Orval Faubus in the Democratic primary.

Politicians from the Natural State remember former governor David Pryor

His final political office was back in D.C., this time as a U.S. senator. Pryor served three terms in the Senate, wrapping up his political career in 1996.

Politics aside, people on Friday talked about how the Pryor legacy goes beyond his work and shows more of him as a real human – kind and genuine, and always listening.

His leadership and sense of service passed from one generation to another, with his son Mark Pryor going on to become U.S. senator as well, following in his father’s footsteps. The younger Pryor spoke with KARK 4 News about his dad’s career, and more importantly, the kind of father figure he was.

“My dad was a very special person, and you can see by crowds coming today to be with him as he lays in state,” he said. ”He was just legendary for taking care of his constituents’ needs, but also making courageous stands when it wasn’t always easy to do.”

Capitol View: The legacy of David Pryor, week in Arkansas politics

The elder Pryor was known best for fighting against the “Faubus machine” for decades and being a champion for the underdog. He fought for the elderly and was a strong supporter of civil rights legislation in Arkansas from the earliest days of difference-making in the state.

Skip Rutherford, a longtime friend who shared in common with him an upbringing in small-town Arkansas and worked for Pryor in Congress, was floored by the news of his former boss’s death.

“When I got the news that morning, it was stunning,” Rutherford said, speaking of the morning he learned Pryor had passed. “I mean, I just was almost paralyzed.”

Having known Pryor nearly all his life, Rutherford explained that he was able to see the progression of Pryor’s political career and the potential he had in his earliest days that others quickly picked up on.

“When David Pryor was a young state legislator at this state capitol, one of our friends in Batesville was in the legislature with him,” Rutherford said. “This legislator, the late Virgil Butler, kept telling me and the others, ‘This guy David Pryor is special. You all keep an eye on him.’ Representative Butler was right.”

Current and former Arkansas politicians, colleagues respond to the death of David Pryor

Mack McClarty, also stood out from the crowd Friday as a notable figure in the political landscape nationally and a close ally of Pryor’s. The former White House Chief of Staff under former president Bill Clinton. McClarty served as treasurer on Pryor’s first gubernatorial campaign.

McClarty noted that he had known Pryor since he was 8 years old and worked closely with Pryor and Sen. Dale Bumpers during the Clinton administration. All that time spent in close circles with Pryor left a deep impression on McClarty.

“I feel he was the most beloved figure in Arkansas politics,” he said.

Rutherford, McClarty and the younger Pryor all spoke about the legacy Pryor leaves behind, and how the David and Barbara Pryor Oral and Visual History Center in Fayetteville serves as a way to keep his memory alive. The organization archives old stories and footage of Pryor, documenting his stories and work, along with the long-term impact he had in politics and the state of Arkansas.

Funeral arrangements set for former Arkansas Gov. David Pryor

The visitation for former Gov. David Pryor will be Friday night in Little Rock, followed by the funeral on Saturday afternoon. The service will be live-streamed and available on KARK.com.

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