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Former Naval Academy Superintendent Dies At 77

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Arizona Sen. John McCain is praising former Naval Academy Superintendent Charles Larson, who died over the weekend, as a great man.

McCain, who graduated in the same class as Larson at the academy in 1958, said in a statement Sunday that it has been a privilege and an honor to serve in Larson's shadow, both as a young man and an old one.

The Capital of Annapolis  reported that Larson died Saturday at his home in Annapolis, Maryland. He was 77. Cmdr. Wes Huey, Larson's son-in-law, confirmed Larson's death to the newspaper. Huey says his death was due to pneumonia stemming from a two-year battle with leukemia.

Larson served as the academy's superintendent twice, first from 1983 to 1986 and again from 1994 to 1998.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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