The daughter of State Representative John Kivela says his death was a suicide. She confirmed in a Facebook post that he killed himself Tuesday after a long battle with alcoholism. The Democrat from Marquette was found dead in his home on Chestnut Street in Lansing Tuesday afternoon. He'd just been bailed out of the Clinton County jail after he was arrested for drunk driving Monday.
His daughter Shelby said her father drank on the road because he was trying to juggle his roles as a husband, father and State Representative while at the same time hiding his alcoholism.
Marquette County Sheriff Greg Zyburt says Kivela covered his drinking well.
"He was an alcoholic and he hid it very well. In all the years that I knew John I never saw him, I would see him drink socially but I never saw him sloppy drunk or if he had a few he'd let his wife drive."
Shelby Kivela says she had an amazing childhood and that one of her proudest moments was working on her father's first State House campaign. But she admits his alcoholism strained their relationship in the final months of his life. Funeral arrangements have not been announced yet.
