John Boehner

"He has kept his word when he made a commitment. He is somebody who has been gracious. And I think maybe most importantly, he's somebody who understands that in government, in governance, you don't get 100 percent of what you want, but you have to work with people who you disagree with — sometimes strongly — in order to do the people's business." — President Barack Obama.

Some said they understood why he was ready to leave Congress, although the timing caught them off guard.

"It's the end of a great run of leadership, from the time when he was first elected," said Harry Prestanski, a veterans' issues advocate in Boehner's home West Chester Township, a northern Cincinnati suburb. "These last few years, he's come under a great deal of attacks ... He's shown remarkable resilience over these years."

The 13-term Ohio Republican shocked his GOP caucus early Friday morning when he announced his decision in a closed-door session. It came one day after a high point of Boehner's congressional career, a historic speech by Pope Francis to Congress at Boehner's request.