Long-Time Public Servant Instrumental In U.S. Defense & Post-9/11 Policy Dies Of Complications From Pneumonia And Cardiac Disease

Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 7:30 A.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Jennifer Hodges, Political Editor: Englebrook Independent News,

WASHINGTON, DC.- Former Vice President Dick Cheney, a central figure in American politics for more than four decades, died Monday at the age of 84. According to a statement released by his family, Cheney passed away peacefully at his home Monday night, surrounded by his wife Lynne and daughters Liz and Mary. The cause of death was listed as complications from pneumonia and chronic heart disease.

     Born January 30, 1941, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and raised in Casper, Wyoming, Richard Bruce Cheney began his political career as a congressional intern and staffer before rising to national prominence. After earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Wyoming, he went on to serve in multiple Republican administrations.

     Cheney’s first major executive role came under President Gerald Ford, when he became White House Chief of Staff in 1975 at just 34, one of the youngest ever to hold that post. He was later elected to represent Wyoming in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1979 to 1989. During his tenure, Cheney rose to the position of House Minority Whip and built a reputation as a steadfast conservative voice on national defense and fiscal policy.

     In 1989, President George H. W. Bush appointed Cheney as Secretary of Defense, a position in which he oversaw pivotal U.S. military operations including the invasion of Panama and Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War. He was widely credited with restoring morale and strategic focus to the U.S. military following the Vietnam era.

     After leaving the Pentagon, Cheney served as CEO of Halliburton Co., a major energy and infrastructure firm. In 2000, he returned to politics when George W. Bush selected him as his running mate. The Bush-Cheney ticket went on to win the presidency, and Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009.

     Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Cheney emerged as one of the most influential vice presidents in American history. He was a key architect of the Bush administration’s “War on Terror,” helping shape policies on counterterrorism, surveillance, and national defense. His advocacy for preemptive military action and expanded executive power left a deep and lasting imprint on U.S. foreign policy.

     Cheney’s career was not without controversy. He was criticized for supporting the invasion of Iraq based on intelligence later proven false, as well as for defending the use of enhanced interrogation techniques and expanded government surveillance programs. Nevertheless, his supporters hailed him as a patriot and a defender of American security during one of the nation’s most perilous periods.

     After leaving office, Cheney published two books, In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir (2011) and Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America (2015), co-written with his daughter, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney. Despite decades of serious heart ailments, including five heart attacks and a heart transplant in 2012, he remained active in public life well into his later years.

     Cheney’s legacy as a staunch conservative, foreign policy strategist, and deeply polarizing figure ensures his influence will continue to be debated by historians, politicians, and citizens alike. Dick Cheney will be sadly missed.

Editor’s Note:

Reporting for this article was compiled and fact-checked from multiple credible sources, including The New York Post, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Archives, and Encyclopedia Britannica. Attribution for Cheney’s biographical and policy history is drawn from publicly available government and historical records, including the Department of Defense Historical Office and Wikipedia. This article was written by Jennifer Hodges, Political Editor, Englebrook Independent News.