Former Wyoming Republican Sen. Alan Simpson died at age 93 on Friday.
Simpson passed away in Cody, Wyoming, surrounded by family and friends after he struggled to recover from a broken hip in December, according to a statement from his family and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a group of museums of which he was a board member for 56 years. His family members said his recovery was hindered by complications from frostbite to his left foot approximately five years ago, which led to his left leg being amputated below the knee as an unavoidable medical necessity.
“It’s impossible to overstate the contributions Al Simpson made to the Center of the West, to the community of Cody and to Wyoming and the country,” Rebecca West, CEO and executive director of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, wrote in the statement.
“Few people have ever done as much for the Center of the West. He ranks alongside William F. ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody as someone who has embodied the spirit of the American West and the essence of the town of Cody,” West added.
During his time in office, Simpson advocated for campaign finance reform, immigration reform, civic discourse and national debt reduction. The former GOP Senator is survived by his wife, Ann, who he married in 1954, as well as their three children, William Simpson, Colin Simpson and Susan Simpson Gallagher.
“He was an uncommonly generous man,” Pete Simpson, Simpson’s older brother, wrote in the statement. “And I mean generous in an absolutely unconditional way. Giving of his time, giving of his energy—and he did it in politics and he did it in the family, forever.”
Several Republican lawmakers posted on social media Friday to mourn Simpson’s death.
“Saddened by the loss of former Senator Al Simpson, who served our country and the people of Wyoming for over 30 years,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune wrote Friday in a post on X. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
“Today, our state and country mourn the passing of our dear Senator Alan Simpson,” Republican Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis said in a post on X. “There was no stronger advocate for the needs, industries, and interests of Wyoming. I extend my deepest thoughts and prayers to Al’s family and friends, he will be missed dearly.”
Simpson served as a member of the Senate from 1979 to 1997. In 2022, Simpson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Joe Biden.
The longtime Republican was known for his witty and blunt remarks, with The New York Times on Friday describing Simpson as “folksy, irreverent and sometimes cantankerous.”
A memorial service for Simpson will be held at Christ Episcopal Church in Cody, followed by a reception at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, according to the statement.
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