Marion Barry—the four-time Washington D.C. mayor and current city council member—died early Sunday morning in a Southeast Washington hospital, The New York Times reports. He was 78.

From The Washington Post:

[United Medical Center] spokeswoman Natalie Williams said Mr. Barry arrived at the hospital around 12:30 a.m. and died at 1:46 a.m. He had been released from Howard University Hospital on Saturday following a brief stay. His death was announced by his family in a statement released through a spokeswoman for Mr. Barry. No cause was given, but he had suffered from many health problems over the years, including diabetes, prostate cancer and kidney ailments.

Infamous nationally for his 1990 drug conviction, Barry was a towering figure in local Washington politics facetiously referred to as the city's "Mayor for Life"—a title shared by his 2014 autobiography.

"He loved the District of Columbia and so many Washingtonians loved him," said D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray in a statement praising Barry as "a true statesman of the District of Columbia."

[Image via AP Images]