Former US Sen. Mike Enzi remembered as statesman, family man

GILLETTE, Wyo. – Former U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi was remembered Friday arsenic an honorable statesman and household antheral who was focused connected leadership, contented and faith.

The Wyoming Republican died July 26 aft helium was hospitalized with a breached cervix and ribs for 3 days pursuing a bicycle mishap adjacent Gillette. He was 77.

Friends, family, constituents and colleagues gathered astatine a assemblage diversion halfway successful Gillette for Enzi's funeral, and a enactment to get wrong stretched retired the doorway earlier the work started.

Enzi's lad recalled however his begetter was truthful dedicated to his household that helium received peculiar support to permission the Senate betwixt votes truthful helium could question to Wyoming to clasp 1 of his newborn granddaughters, if lone for a mates of hours.

“Got connected a plane, flew overnight, drove from Denver to Cheyenne, got to the infirmary connected peculiar permission, held (Allison) for a mates of hours, got successful a car and drove backmost to Denver and flew backmost for the adjacent vote,” Brad Enzi said. “He wasn’t going to miss family.”

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“The happening I know, I know, know, cognize successful my heart, the happening that helium treasured astir was family,” helium said.

Addressing his mother, who was joined to Mike Enzi for 52 years, the younger Enzi said, “I’ve ne'er successful my beingness seen a antheral much enamored, much proud, and much googly-eyed. ... You lone request to look astatine photos wherever helium looks astatine you and not astatine the camera to retrieve his emotion for you.”

Wyoming's full legislature delegation attended the service, arsenic did respective of Enzi's erstwhile colleagues successful the Senate, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, The Gillette News Record reported.

Enzi’s governmental vocation began astatine 30 erstwhile helium was elected politician of Gillette, a metropolis astatine the bosom of Wyoming’s then-booming ember mining industry. He was elected to the Wyoming House successful 1986 and authorities Senate successful 1991.

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The erstwhile footwear salesman was archetypal elected to the U.S. Senate successful 1996 and emphasized compromise implicit grandstanding and confrontation to get bills passed. His “80-20 rule” called connected colleagues to absorption connected the 80% of an contented wherever legislators tended to hold and discard the 20% wherever they didn’t.

Wyoming voters reelected Enzi by wide margins 3 times earlier helium announced successful 2019 that helium would not question a 5th term. He was succeeded successful the Senate successful 2021 by Republican Cynthia Lummis, a erstwhile congresswoman and authorities treasurer.

Enzi crashed his motorcycle adjacent his location July 23, and Gillette constabulary accidental determination is nary denotation anybody other was adjacent oregon progressive successful the accident. He was stabilized earlier being flown to a infirmary successful Colorado.

Enzi is survived by his wife, Diana Buckley; 2 daughters, a lad and respective grandchildren.

For copyright information, cheque with the distributor of this item, The Gillette (Wyo.) News Record.