Bobbi Barrasso, wife of Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, dies

CHEYENNE  — Bobbi Barrasso, wife of U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, died Wednesday, Jan. 24, after a two-year battle with glioblastoma brain cancer. She was 70.
John Barrasso, R-Wyo., on Thursday released the following statement: “After a courageous battle with cancer, Bobbi is now at peace and at home with the Lord. In addition to being a devoted wife and mother, Bobbi was a leader, fierce advocate for Wyoming and friend to everyone she met. 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.”
Bobbi Barrasso was born in Thermopolis on July 20, 1953, to Robert and Jeralyn Brown. According to her obituary, “she was raised with a love of God, family and country” and was “a success in everything she attempted due to hard work and a positive attitude.” She attended the University of Wyoming, where she was crowned homecoming queen during her senior year and graduated with a degree in speech pathology.
After college, she was off to Washington, D.C., where she worked for five years as a member of U.S. Sen. Malcolm Wallop’s team. She “loved policy, politics and public service,” according to her obituary, and held several jobs in the political sphere after her return to Wyoming. She then worked her way through law school at UW by serving as house mother of her beloved Pi Beta Phi sorority.
In 2003, Bobbi was diagnosed with breast cancer. After her treatment and recovery, she went on to become a founding member of the Wyoming Breast Cancer Initiative and an advocate for promotion of early cancer detection and treatment.
She and John Barrasso were married on New Year’s Day 2008 in a traditional ceremony at the Brown family church in Thermopolis after dating for five years. They had known each other for 25 years after meeting at a Republican convention, and both had children from previous marriages.
Her obituary said “she was most happy at home in Wyoming. She loved every corner of the state and all of the land and people in between.”