LANSING, Mich. — Richard Whitmer, the former longtime leader of health insurance giant Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and father of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, has died, the governor's office announced Tuesday. He was 85.

Richard Whitmer, who went by Dick, previously served in state government, including as commerce secretary for former Gov. Bill Milliken, a Republican, before joining Blue Cross Blue Shield. According to the Western Michigan University alumni association, he was the senior vice president and general counsel for the insurer, beginning in 1977, before becoming president and CEO 10 years later. He retired from the position in 2006.

His daughter, Gretchen, became the state's Democratic governor about 13 years later, taking office at the start of 2019. She was reelected to her second term in 2022 and is currently in her final year as governor because of Michigan's term limits.

“He was the one who always saw my potential and believed in me, from the first speech I gave in fifth grade to my States of the State as governor," Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement Tuesday. "He was always there, whether in the back of the classroom or in the front row of the House Chamber, cheering me on.

"He was the one who picked me up when I was down or told me to get my act together when I screwed up. When my grades were slacking in high school, he inspired me to live up to my potential. Because of his encouragement, I did."

In a 2005 statement announcing Richard Whitmer's upcoming retirement, Gregory Sudderth, chairman of the Blue Cross board, labeled Richard Whitmer a "wonderful and talented CEO."

"He shaped the Blues into the successful, competitive, customer-focused organization that it is today," Sudderth said in 2005. "We are fortunate to have had his leadership these past 17 years."

In a statement Tuesday, Tricia Keith, current president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, said Richard Whitmer's tenure was historic and came at a critical time for the organization, which was facing a financial crisis.

"Dick Whitmer’s leadership stabilized Blue Cross’s finances, restored our relationships and helped our company emerge from the crisis it faced in the 1980s," Keith said. "Dick Whitmer was a leader of integrity and fortitude.

"He put Blue Cross on the path to grow, compete and serve in a new century. He championed transparency and integrity. His tenure was marked by dramatically improved relations between management and labor, founded upon mutual respect and a collaborative spirit."

Former Gov. Jim Blanchard, a Democrat, said he first met Richard Whitmer when Whitmer was working for Milliken, who took office as governor in 1969. At the time of their encounter, Richard Whitmer was commerce secretary, a high position in state government for someone who was in his late 20s or early 30s, Blanchard said.

“Throughout his career, he was a very gracious and a very understated, modest person," Blanchard said.

At Blue Cross, Richard Whitmer was initially the organization's advocate with state government at a time of acrimony with some state officials, Blanchard said.

“He was able to smooth over relations, which, I think, was to the benefit of both Blue Cross Blue Shield and the state,” Blanchard said.

Richard Whitmer earned his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University and his law degree from the University of Michigan, according to the governor's office.

S. Martin Taylor, another former state official, met Richard Whitmer at Western Michigan University and maintained a friendship with him for more than six decades.

"He was just a solid guy who had his own principles and morality," Taylor recalled.

Asked which accomplishments Richard Whitmer was most proud of, Taylor said it was probably his three children, Gretchen, Richard and Liz.

"He was devoted to them," Taylor said.

Blanchard said Richard Whitmer encouraged Gretchen Whitmer to consider public life and becoming involved in government. Richard, like his daughter, was an astute politician, Blanchard said.

In her statement Tuesday, Gretchen Whitmer described her dad "my best friend, most trusted counselor and next-door neighbor until I moved into the governor’s residence."

"I would not be where I am and who I am without my dad," she said. "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."

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