WYOMING — Gov. Mark Gordon has ordered all flags to be flown at half-staff to honor the life of former U.S. Congressman and former Vice President Dick Cheney, who died Monday at age 84.
“Wyoming has lost one of its own,” Gordon said in a statement. “Former Vice President Dick Cheney served our nation with an unwavering sense of duty shaped by the grit and resolve of this state. Dick carried Wyoming values with him, his steadfast commitment, quiet strength and a fierce belief in America. Jennie and I extend our deepest condolences to Lynne, Liz, Mary and the entire Cheney family. May he rest in peace.”
Flags will remain at half-staff until the day after internment, Gordon’s office said.
Cheney, who was born in Nebraska and grew up in Casper, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wyoming before representing Wyoming in the U.S. House from 1979 to 1989. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of Defense by President George H. W. Bush in 1989, and then became the 46th Vice President of the U.S. in 2000 under President George W. Bush, serving two terms.
His daughter Liz represented Wyoming in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023.
Wyoming’s other political leaders remembered Cheney for his contributions on the statewide and national stages.
“From high school football star to White House Chief of Staff, Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President, Dick’s career has few peers in American life,” Senator John Barrasso said in a Tuesday statement. “His unflinching leadership shaped many of the biggest moments in domestic and U.S. foreign policy for decades. Dick will be remembered as a towering figure who helped guide the course of history in Wyoming, the United States, and around the world. My prayers are with Lynne, with Liz and Mary, and his grandchildren as they celebrate an incredible man.”
“Dick Cheney’s life was one of service to his state and nation, as U.S. Vice President, U.S. Secretary of Defense, White House Chief of Staff, and Wyoming Congressman,” Senator Cynthia Lummis said in a statement. “For more than 10 years, he worked alongside Senators Malcolm Wallop and Al Simpson as the most formidable Congressional delegation in Washington. As the first Wyoming citizen to be elected Vice President, he holds a defining place in our state’s history. I send my condolences and prayers to Lynne, Liz, Mary, and the entire Cheney family.”
“You couldn’t grow up in Wyoming and not know who Dick Cheney was,” Rep. Harriet Hageman said in a statement. “He dedicated most of his life to serving his country, working across multiple administrations and finally capping his public career as an extremely consequential vice president. He was known as a meticulous, detail-oriented planner who prioritized his family. Dick Cheney had an undeniable impact on American policy, both foreign and domestic, for decades, and will be studied and remembered for many years more than that.”
