Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s father, Richard Whitmer, has died.
“He was my best friend, most trusted counselor, and next-door neighbor until I moved into the Governor’s Residence,” Whitmer said in a statement released Tuesday. “I would not be where I am and who I am without my dad. Today, I’m sad, but I’m grateful too. I’m grateful for the time we got to spend together, for the things he taught me, and the stories I’ll carry with me forever."
Richard Whitmer was a well-known Michigan government and business figure who worked in the state Legislature, served in Republican Governor William Milliken’s cabinet as the commerce department director, and later became the CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. He is credited with steering Michigan’s largest health insurer through a tumultuous period. The Blue Cross Blue Shield headquarters in downtown Detroit is named for him.
Governor Whitmer often mentions she grew up in a bipartisan household as a child since her mother worked as a top lawyer for Democratic Attorney General Frank Kelley. Sharon Whitmer died in 2002. The governor also credits her father with steering her toward public service when she was more interested in a career as a sports broadcaster.
“I haven’t looked back since,” she said.
Rick Cole, a friend who worked with Richard Whitmer at Blue Cross Blue Shield, said he brought to the company a belief that it should reflect the people it served.
“He was an early and active advocate for a diverse workforce, for a diverse leadership team and I think the company and the people of Michigan benefitted significantly,” he said.
Former Governor Jim Blanchard, a Democrat, said Richard Whitmer’s deep experience in government gave him a strong grasp of how government and business interacted – which was valuable experience leading one of the state’s most-regulated businesses.
“He was obviously very skillful – very understated,” said Blanchard. “Unlike a lot of people who are prominent and gifted, there was no bragging about it or conducting himself in a way that would suggest that he had as much influence as he really did.”
Richard Whitmer was 85. He is survived by his three children, Gretchen, Richard and Liz Whitmer, and seven grandchildren.
