Bobbi Barrasso, a former U.S. Senate staffer and the wife of Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), died on Wednesday night after a two-year battle with Glioblastoma brain cancer, according to the senator’s office. She was 70 years old.
“After a courageous battle with cancer, Bobbi is now at peace and at home with the Lord,” he said in a Thursday statement. “In addition to being a devoted wife and mother, Bobbi was a leader, fierce advocate for Wyoming, and friend to everyone she met.”
Barrasso continued: “We miss her dearly. On behalf of our entire family, we thank everyone for your prayers and continued support as we remember her and grieve together.”
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His office confirmed that Bobbi died at home in Casper, Wyoming.
A Wyoming native, according to the Casper Star-Tribune, Bobbi was a survivor of breast cancer, having beaten the disease with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy following a 2003 diagnosis. She later became a public advocate for early detection and treatment, and was involved with initiatives like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and Komen Wyoming.
She served on the staff of two Wyoming senators, including Craig Thomas, who died in 2007 and was succeeded by Barrasso, previously a member of the Wyoming State Senate. The couple were wed the following year. In addition to the senator, Bobbi is survived by her daughter, Hadley, stepchildren Peter and Emma, and a younger brother, Mike.
Sen. Barrasso, the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, is the third-ranking member in the chamber’s Republican leadership. Condolences for the 71-year-old lawmaker and his family poured in from Capitol Hill on Thursday, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) saying that he and his wife were “heartbroken” over Bobbi’s death.
“Bobbi’s home state is better for her decades of devoted advocacy for a host of worthy causes,” he said in a statement. “In addition to her tireless work on breast cancer treatment and awareness, Bobbi inspired action in Wyoming and Washington on issues ranging from suicide prevention to historical preservation and support for survivors of child abuse.”
The Minority Leader added that Barrasso had worn “his love for Bobbi on his sleeve.”
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) said that Bobbi had been “lighting up rooms with her infectious smile, natural warmth and generosity of spirit since we first met as teenagers at the University of Wyoming.”
“She had a fierce love for her family and her beloved Wyoming, both of which she gave to tirelessly her entire life,” she added in a statement on X that hailed Bobbi as the state’s “loving champion.”
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) told the Star-Tribune in her own statement that Bobbi “was was always warm to everyone, welcoming them with a big smile and a kind word. She served our state both in her career and alongside her husband, Senator Barrasso. My prayers are with Bobbi’s entire family.”
