Like many Americans, I woke up this past Sunday morning to the shocking and very sad news that Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina’s four-term U.S. senator (and candidate for a fifth term), had died suddenly and unexpectedly the night before. He was 71.

For me, that unwelcome news prompted an all-too-familiar life experience: It is often only upon the loss of a long-revered colleague or friend that we realize that we’d taken for granted, for all those years, that person’s substantial influence on our lives.

Lindsey Graham was a remarkable public servant, arguably the single most effective and influential Republican member of the U.S. Senate. He was a staunch supporter and personal confidante of President Donald Trump, an unblinking backer of Israel and PM Netanyahu, and a strong advocate for the Iran war and for continued U.S. support to Ukraine,

In his two-plus decades in the Senate, Lindsey Graham exemplified the advice and consent role the Founders had envisioned for the chamber, and he worked relentlessly to pull together competing viewpoints in a way that could serve not just his political allies but the nation as a whole. Over the years, as his senatorial stature matured, he provided a key communications link between the president and the Senate, as well as a very effective link between Republicans and Democrats.

Graham was an open-minded and independent voice. He willingly took on active (and inevitably controversial) leadership roles in bipartisan efforts to address contentious issues. Notably, he was part of the 2005 bipartisan “gang of 14” (on smoothing and strengthening the judicial approval process) and in 2013 the “gang of eight” (on immigration reform). He was obviously well aware that not all his constituents would agree with those actions, and in fact, the latter prompted a short-lived recall initiative in South Carolina — but evidently respect for their senator’s political courage and drive for positive results carried the day.

Graham’s well-known practice of reaching across the political aisle and treating his political opponents with respect added enormous credibility to the occasions when he angrily took them to task. The unforgettable example was his passionate support of then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh when Democrat members tried to derail his nomination by painting him as a sexual predator. In Graham’s fierce rebuttal, he said, “The next time you see Justices [Sonia] Sotomayor or [Elena] Kagan, tell them Lindsey says hello. Because I voted for them!” He cemented his personal respect for the Senate’s constitutionally prescribed judicial approval process and his intolerance for those who would subvert it for partisan purposes.

On the personal side, tributes over the past few days by Graham’s friends and colleagues have yielded a fascinating composite picture of the real Lindsey Graham, the man behind the public persona. We’ve learned that he is a real-life personification of the American dream, rising by virtue of his innate talents and personal drive, from grim childhood circumstances to the highest levels of government, and that he was intensely loyal to those who’d helped him along the way. Quite clearly, his love for country and for life itself was contagious, spread liberally with humor and friendship.

Graham’s southern accent and charm were 100% authentic — unlike the many career politicians who regularly slip into the tone and speech of their audience. With Lindsey, it wasn’t an act. It was just him.

All in all, he was a hard-driving but happy warrior, attacking every challenge with boundless energy and enthusiasm, dedicated to achieving the next vital goal. Reportedly, in a casual conversation following his Ukraine trip and his confidence that the ugly war could be over soon, he said, “I can’t die yet; I’ve got more to do.”

Alas, he died just hours later.

Senator Graham’s death is a major loss for the nation, and a particularly problematic one for the GOP with midterm elections just months away and congressional leadership very much in question.

And totally separate from the many inspiring recollections of Lindsay Graham’s life, his untimely death prompted worrisome reactions as well. Speaking for myself, on the heels of the Sunday morning shock and sorrow about his passing, I was immediately skeptical about the reported “brief and sudden illness” that took his life.

Given the unbridled fury that now accompanies every political controversy, I couldn’t shake the unstated hypothetical question: Who got him? What Trump-hating or Israel-hating person or entity, foreign or domestic, may have concluded that Senator Graham’s obviously substantial influence on the president’s actions and on American public opinion about them must be terminated?

Conservatives are often accused of being conspiracy theorists. But let’s step back and take a realistic view of the ultra-politicized world we now inhabit. Political violence is becoming the norm. While just coincidental, news coverage of the ongoing legal proceedings preparatory to the trial of Charlie Kirk’s accused killer was a grim reminder of the horror of Kirk’s bloody assassination a year ago. That is just one of many instances of politically motivated violence in recent years. And who can ignore the fact that our elected president has been the target of two nearly successful assassination attempts, and that more are likely?

By late Sunday, preliminary findings by the medical examiner put to rest concerns about foul play as a factor in Graham’s death. But at the same time, the substantial number of well-publicized internet and media posts celebrating his demise (e.g., “Good Riddance, Lindsey!”) make it clear that the antipathy for his views and his success in pushing them are not imaginary.

As I think about it, my own instinctive conjecture — no doubt shared by many others — that Lindsay Graham’s sudden demise may not have been due to natural causes is yet another discomforting reminder that there is a growing propensity — and in some quarters, even tacit encouragement and endorsement — of violence as an acceptable means of redress for political or ideological disagreement. That is a wholly unacceptable trend; we must redouble our commitment to quash it.

Right now, let’s send to Lindsey Graham and to his family our profound thanks for his life of service to our nation. Rest in peace, senator.