After sustaining serious injuries on July 23, the 77-year-old former senator died in a Colorado hospital, ending a long career of public service for Wyoming.
The unfortunate news was released on Senator Enzi’s Facebook page around midnight on Tuesday, July 27. Former Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi died due to injuries sustained in a bicycle accident near his home in Gillette on Friday, July 23.
According to the Gillette News Record, Enzi broke his neck and several ribs in the bike accident. After receiving initial treatment in Gillette’s U.C. Health Center, he was life-flighted to the U.S. Health Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado.
Enzi was rendered unconscious due to the accident. Unfortunately, it appears he never regained consciousness before his Tuesday morning death.
Representative Liz Cheney was the first member of the Wyoming congressional delegation to issue a statement on Senator Enzi’s passing. She calls the late senator “a straight-shooter, an honest broker, and a soft-spoken but powerful advocate for the causes he cared deeply about.”
Sen. Mike Enzi's sudden passing marks a sad day for Wyoming and our country.
My condolences are with his beloved wife of more than 50 years, Diana, and his entire family. See my full statement mourning his loss: https://t.co/H0Bl2U9u4p pic.twitter.com/2vqHUuyLmc
— Rep. Liz Cheney (@RepLizCheney) July 27, 2021
Senator John Barrasso – long the junior senator to Enzi – released a statement Tuesday morning. He calls Enzi “the trusted trail boss” of the Wyoming congressional delegation, a mentor, and a dear friend.
“Wyoming and the nation have lost one of the most consequential public servants of our time.
Whether he was serving as mayor of Gillette, in the Wyoming Legislature, or in the U.S. Senate, you could not have asked for a stronger champion for Wyoming and our country than Mike Enzi.
U.S. Senator Mike Enzi was the trusted trail boss of Wyoming’s congressional delegation. In his four terms in the U.S. Senate, Mike never wavered in his commitment to God, family, or Wyoming.
Mike was a problem solver through and through. More than 100 Enzi bills were signed into law by four U.S. presidents. Many passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. As the first accountant to chair the Senate Budget Committee, Mike secured a legacy of cutting wasteful spending and making government more accountable to American taxpayers.
It was an incredible honor and a great privilege for my wife Bobbi and me to serve the people of Wyoming alongside Mike and his wife Diana. Mike was a mentor to me, a dear friend, and I will miss him tremendously.
Family and faith meant everything to Mike. Bobbi and I send our deepest condolences to Diana and their children Amy, Emily and Brad, and all of their beloved grandchildren.”
The Enzi Family asks for “privacy and continued prayers during this difficult time,” with details on a memorial to be announced at a later date.
