William "Bill" Roy, a former Democratic member of Congress, died Monday at the age of 88. Roy’s family says the retired lawmaker and physician died from complications after heart surgery at the Mayo Clinic. Roy served two terms in the House of Representatives in the early 1970’s. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Congressman Roy he took a special interest in health care issues and was instrumental in creating a nationwidestandard for emergency medical services. He ran for the Senate twice but lost both of those races to Republicans Bob Dole in 1974 and Nancy Kassebaum in 1978. Roy’s family says he grew up on a farm in central Illinois during the Depression. He earned his MD from Northwestern Medical School in Chicago and his law degree from Washburn University’s School of Law. He practiced medicine in Topeka from 1955 until he retired in 1989 and his family says he delivered more than 8,000 babies during the course of his medical career. Roy’s wife Jane died in 2010. He leaves six children and 10 grandchildren.