Robert Takeo Matsui

US Congressman. A native of Sacramento, California, Matsui was born of Japanese ancestry. Elected to represent California's 3rd and 5th Districts in the United States House of Representatives, Matsui served from 1979 to 2003. Also served as a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention from California in 2000. Matsui was also later involved in several other parties and organizations. Matsui passed away on January 1, 2005, at the Bethesda Naval Hospital at the age of 63, from pneumonia and Myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare stem cell disorder.