Lewis H. Entz was one of those public servants who never stopped serving. The former state legislator was revered up until his death, which came Wednesday evening, Dec. 10. He was 94.
Entz was Mr. San Luis Valley. Born in Monte Vista and a farmer from Hooper, he represented the Valley in the Colorado House of Representatives for 16 years from 1982-98, and then in 2001 became state senator when he succeeded then-State Sen. Gigi Dennis following her resignation.
He served in the state senate until 2006, and before any of that served for 14 years as an Alamosa County Commissioner.
“Five young Republicans talked me into running,” he told the Monte Vista Journal of how he got his start in politics.
Even out of office, Entz maintained his public service. Every year he was part of the annual Alamosa Veterans Day Parade as a former U.S. Marine who fought in the Korean War, and was a regular in the Ski-Hi Stampede Parade and all the parades and gatherings across the Valley.
He was part of the Early Iron Club, which afforded him the opportunity to display his passion of restoring and maintaining vehicles. His baby was his 1943 Ford jeep, which he drove in all the parades year after year.
One of his final meetings was at breakfast in November with state Sen. Cleave Simpson of Alamosa, and former state senators Gigi Dennis and Larry Crowther. It was an occasion to gather together all the former Republican state senators who have represented the San Luis Valley to mingle and enjoy each other’s company.
“So glad we had breakfast together a few weeks ago. Such an honorable public servant, I am so proud to have known him and work with him on important Valley issues,” Simpson said.’
The tributes to Entz on Alamosa Citizen Facebook, which first reported the news of his death, are extensive. “Lew was a great fellow and solid friend of the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District. He will be missed,” wrote Ralph Scanga. Wrote Ronald W. Jablonski Jr., “Enjoyed working with Mr. Entz during my time at Rio Grande NF. He was a fair and honest champion for his SLV constituents.”
The lasting question of his legacy is the H in his name, which he always used in life and on the extensive number of legislative bills he authored.
“When my twin sister and I were brought home from the hospital, we went by Homelake. It’s been in my mind ever since,” he told a magazine writer in 2004.
Lewis H. Entz is preceded in death by his wife, Lorie Entz, who passed away Sept. 7, 2014. They married on Nov. 24, 1952.
He is survived by his wife, Kathryn “Kitty” Bigley-Entz. Funeral arrangements and obituary are pending through Rogers Family Mortuary.