Rod Bockenfeld

Former Rep. Rod Bockenfeld, R-Watkins, died on Feb. 13, 2025, at his home in Watkins. He was 69. 

Bockenfeld served in the Colorado House from 2019 to 2025, including on the Joint Budget Committee. He battled cancer during his final year and declined to run for a fourth term.

Bockenfeld “led with integrity, fought tirelessly for fiscal responsibility, and always put the needs of the people first,” his House Republican colleagues said. “Whether guiding critical budget decisions on the Joint Budget Committee or standing firm in his principles on the House floor, he never backed down from doing what he believed was right.”

Bockenfeld served two terms as an Arapahoe County Commissioner before his time in the Colorado General Assembly. He was survived by his wife, Susan, sons, a daughter, and eight grandchildren.

Lew Entz

Former Sen. and Rep. Lew Entz, R-Hooper, died on Dec. 10. He was 94.

He served eight terms in the Colorado House, from 1983 to 1998, representing five counties in the San Luis Valley, plus Gunnison, Mineral and Hinsdale.

In 2001, he was selected to fill the unexpired term of Sen. Gigi Dennis of Pueblo West, who had joined President George W. Bush’s administration.

Entz won election to a full term in 2002, representing 11 counties from Pueblo to Pitkin. He lost to Democratic Sen. Gail Schwartz in the 2006 election.

Entz’s vast knowledge of Colorado’s complex water laws and the importance of water to the San Luis Valley was essential, and he worked tirelessly to protect water, according to then-U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa.

Entz is survived by his second wife, Kathryn Bigley Entz, and three daughters and a son from his first marriage to the late Lora Jean Chambers.

Carl Miller

Former Rep. Carl Miller, D-Leadville, died on Aug. 9 at the age of 86.

Miller represented Summit, Lake and Eagle counties in the Colorado House from 1997 to 2005.

Before his House service, Miller served 12 years as a Lake County Commissioner.

Miller was born in Leadville on Oct. 28, 1938, according to his obituary. After graduating from Leadville High, Miller went to work in the mines for two years. He then joined the army and served for two years.

Miller worked as an underground electrician in the Climax Mine for 27 years.

Miller led the effort to secure Leadville as the permanent home of the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum and he served as its president and executive director for 10 years. 

He followed that with an election to the Colorado General Assembly. 

Following his time in the House, Gov. Bill Owens appointed him to the Public Utilities Commission, where he served for four years.

He married Mary Ann Skala in 1961, and they celebrated 64 years together in 2025. They have two daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Faith Winter

On Nov. 26, Sen. Faith Winter, D-Broomfield, died in a car crash in Arapahoe County. She was 45.

Her family, friends, colleagues and supporters paid tribute to her on the west steps of the Capitol in a Dec. 5 memorial service.

Winter served 11 years in the legislature, four in the House and seven in the Senate. She would have been term-limited after the 2026 session.

In a statement, Senate President James Coleman and Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, said they are devastated to learn of Winter’s passing.

“Today, our caucus grieves the loss of a dedicated public servant whose commitment to the people of Colorado never wavered,” they said. “Whether fighting for legislation to support mothers and families, championing groundbreaking transit policy, or simply supporting constituents in moments of need, she brought thoughtfulness, innovation, and humility to every aspect of her work.”

Winter is survived by her two children, Tobin and Sienna, and fiancé and former state Rep. Matt Gray and his two children.

John Stulp

John Stulp, the state’s first water czar and a former commissioner of agriculture, died July 7 in Lamar. He was 76.

He was appointed by five governors from different political parties to two cabinet positions and to six state boards and commissions over 45 years of public service, according to the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 2024. He and his family opened their farm to trade teams, foreign farm tours, members of Congress, state legislators, nearly every state board and commission he served on, as well as to grade schoolers and their teachers.

Former agriculture commissioner Don Brown said of Stulp, “One who possessed the skills of a diplomat, the patience of Job, and enough common sense to recognize when a situation, in a constant state of flux, would require either the use of the carrot or the stick.”