On July 5, 2016, Bill Armstrong transitioned from Colorado’s most admired statesman to one of its most memorable, historical figures. My last real conversation with Bill was right after his first cancer diagnosis five years ago, when he declined my invitation to deliver the keynote to the Douglas County Lincoln Day Dinner due to the treatments that he was about to endure. In the untimely death of this patriot, we lose a model of integrity that impressively held throughout his private, professional, and very public life.

Bill Armstrong seemed to hold everyone’s respect throughout his journeys on this Earth, even while effectively advancing conservative principles, the Christian faith, and the Republican Party. I don’t believe that there has ever been a greater gathering of distinguished Coloradans than the crowd who assembled on Friday to bid farewell to the former radio voice, United States Senator and President of Colorado Christian University. Prominent figures from both major political parties attended the memorial that recounted the remarkable life of Bill Armstrong, who left us at the age of 79.

I challenge everyone who is involved in Colorado politics, including myself, to consider Bill Armstrong’s example when pressing for their preferred issues and candidates to serve in public office. Bill held tremendous influence within the political arena because his demeanor consistently reflected the laws of nature and of nature’s God. In other words, he was Christ-like in both principle and in action. From that honorable position, Bill could aggressively and effectively attain the mighty accomplishments that took two engaging hours to describe at Friday’s funeral service.

I realize that Bill Armstrong was not perfect, as no man is. But I do believe that every time a political effort is begun, this question should be asked: “What would Bill Armstrong do?” We are surrounded today with biting disparagements against imperfect people who are giving it their best. We watch the heartless destruction of reputations against humble citizens who dare offer to serve their neighbors in elected office. And we cringe at the arrogance of purifying the political caste. We never saw such boorish behavior from Bill Armstrong.

Bill would not have manipulated party rules in order to focus power in the hands of a few elites. Bill did not devote his energies to relentlessly criticizing others in positions of political responsibility. And he would never have found himself in the position of having to publicly justify deceitful attacks against reliable conservative servants. Yet all of these unseemly behaviors have become the embarrassing and regrettable norm among Colorado conservative activists.

I fear that Colorado statesmanship may have died along with the one elder politician who still held the title. But perhaps in Bill Armstrong’s passing we will miss statesmanship enough to revive it. I implore everyone who aims to shape a campaign, influence an elected official or contribute to party operations to pause and ask themselves, “What would Bill Armstrong do?” I promise to make this a practice for myself.