Christopher S. “Kit” Bond had a 40 year record of public service, including as U.S. Senator and Missouri Governor. Flags will be flown at half-staff in his honor, until he is laid to rest.

Former Missouri Governor and U.S. Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond died Tuesday in St. Louis at age 86, Governor Mike Kehoe announced.

'A man who truly loved Missouri': Kit Bond, former Missouri governor, US senator, dies at 86 Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., testifies in front of House Government Opposition Committee, on Oct. 28, 1993.

Christopher “Kit” Bond, ex-Missouri governor and longtime U.S. senator, has died at 86. He played a key role in GOP politics and stoked the state’s growth.

Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., testifies in front of House Government Opposition Committee, on Oct. 28, 1993. (Photo by Laura Patterson/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images) SOURCE: CQ Archive ...

"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 said in a statement.