The last tribute by lawmakers to the late House Minority Leader Hugh McKean, R-Loveland, took place as an informal joint session of the state House and Senate.

Memorials to deceased lawmakers have always been separate events, and reserved only for the chamber where the member served. A lawmaker who served in both the House and Senate is honored in both chambers separately. If a lawmaker served only in one chamber, only that chamber held the memorial.

Such was the honor accorded to McKean Friday that both the House and Senate paid tribute in the one-of-a-kind joint session, although not all senators attended.

McKean died Oct. 30, 2022, three days after his 55th birthday, after a sudden heart attack.

The House started off its tribute with the morning prayer, offered by McKean’s best friend, Weld County Commissioner Scott James, his voice breaking at times. 

“We wonder, Lord God, has he made you smile? Have you heard his laughter over the angels offering praise? Has he given you a hug? Did it make you feel a little awkward? Has he told you he loves you? Because he does, just as he loved all of us.” James said. 

It was followed by the House memorial, which noted McKean was known “not only for his dedication to the people he served, but also for his rowdy sense of humor, boundless energy, and infectious laughter, which he used to break down barriers and solve problems.” He could “argue in the well against a member’s bill for hours, then offer them the warmest of hugs and link arms on the way to a committee meeting,” the memorial said. 

McKean’s family, including his partner, former state Rep. Amy Parks, who served out the balance of his 2022 term, were joined by former lawmakers, including Sen. Don Coram and Kevin Grantham; and, Reps. Dan Woog, Matt Gray, Tracy Kraft-Tharp and Lori Saine, who brought McKean’s chili trophy. McKean won both of the House’s chili competitions, a brief tradition that ended with COVID but is likely to be resumed in March, Saine said. 

House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, thanked the Democrats, including the governor, for the grace they have extended to honor McKean. 

“He was the happiest man you ever met, in a big kid way … It made me curious about what he had up his sleeve,” Lynch said. 

Lynch also spoke of McKean’s love for building homes and bridges with other people; and, for his family, Parks, his friends and for the state Capitol and the legislature. He knew more about this building than most, Lynch said, encouraging new lawmakers to find that same kind of love for the Capitol and what comes in and out of it.

Hugh was the epitome of the happy warrior, said Speaker Pro Tem Chris deGruy Kennedy, D-Lakewood.

“I got a big bear hug” after every tough conversation they ever had, deGruy Kennedy added. 

Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, told her colleagues and McKean’s family that her commitment, and the commitment of many, “is to bring a sense of statesmanship to this work, to see each other and to meet each other where we can … there is always a space for commonality.”

Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, began her legislative career following the 2018 election. Bird took to heart the calls for bipartisanship and was invited to a joint town hall with McKean, so she traveled to Loveland. Bird was running bills that weren’t so popular in McKean’s district, and asked to give a rationale for what she was doing. It ended on a positive note, thanks to McKean being at her side.

McKean returned the favor, coming to a town hall Bird held with Kraft-Tharp.

“My constituents, I’m certain they liked him better than me. He charmed everyone in the room,” Bird said, smiling.

There were tears from Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. The two sat next to each other in their first session, she said. When disagreements bloomed, he was quick to bring her back to the power of the institution.

“It was a prize and reverence” that he held for the legislature, McCluskie said.

His fascination for the architecture of the Capitol was of a man who was a crafter, deeply mixed with his pride in public service and dedication to democracy, she said. 

“In those moments when I wrestled with my conscience, and my position, and my vote on a piece of policy, Hugh brought me back to the power of this space and this place,” she said. 

The two also talked about the leadership they would share in the 2023 session.

“We had made a promise to lift up and learn from conflicting perspectives, in better understanding one another and to role model a democratic process that we and Coloradans could be proud of,” she said, holding back tears.

“The spirit of Hugh McKean will forever live in this chamber, as maybe the ghost of policy past, present and future. I am dedicated to keeping his spirit, his commitment to honorable and civil discourse, to learning from one another,” she added.

Rep. Ron Weinberg, who replaced McKean for the 2023 and 2024 sessions, said while they never saw eye to eye, he talked with McKean the day before his death. He was exhausted but still had that huge smile, and gave out that awkward hug. They talked about the future of House District 51, McKean’s future and what he would do next. At that point in time, Hugh wasn’t in HD51, and Weinberg wasn’t the chair of Larimer County GOP. 

They were just two people, he said. 

“I find myself talking to Hugh on these drives back and forth” to Loveland, Weinberg said. “I hope he will help me through these sessions … I loved Hugh McKean and hope to do him proud.”

“I aspire to be Hugh, to be like him,” said former Senate President Kevin Grantham, his voice breaking. “There are good souls we come across … He was one of them.”