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Is former Vice President Richard B. Cheney alive or deceased as of 2025?

Checked on November 15, 2025
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Executive summary

Multiple major news organizations and reference works report that former Vice President Richard B. "Dick" Cheney died on November 3, 2025, at age 84; family statements and outlets cite complications of pneumonia and cardiac/vascular disease as the cause [1] [2] [3]. Long-form obituaries from The New York Times, CNN, AP, Britannica and others provide consistent dates, causes, and funeral plans [1] [4] [3] [2].

1. Reported fact: multiple outlets confirm Cheney’s death on Nov. 3, 2025

News organizations including The New York Times, CNN, AP, NPR and Axios published obituaries saying Richard B. Cheney died on November 3, 2025, and described family statements announcing his passing; these reports present a consistent date and age of 84 [1] [4] [3] [5] [6].

2. Cause of death as reported by family and press: complications of pneumonia plus cardiac/vascular disease

Family statements quoted in The New York Times and Britannica say the immediate causes were complications of pneumonia together with cardiac and vascular disease; press coverage notes Cheney’s long history of coronary problems, including prior heart attacks and a 2012 heart transplant [1] [2].

3. Institutional and ceremonial follow-up: flags, funeral plans, and official tributes

Major outlets reported the nation responded with official and ceremonial markers: the American flag was seen at half-staff at the White House, and the Washington National Cathedral announced it would host a funeral service on November 20, 2025 — details repeated in press releases and cathedral notices [3] [7].

4. How newsrooms framed Cheney’s public legacy

Obituaries characterize Cheney as one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in modern U.S. history, noting his central role shaping post‑9/11 national-security policy and the 2003 Iraq War; opinion pieces and some outlets emphasize controversies — torture, surveillance expansions, and the lasting policy debates he influenced [4] [8] [9].

5. Consensus across sources — and what that means for verification

There is broad agreement among the cited outlets (The New York Times, CNN, AP, Britannica, NPR, Axios, Time, Washington Post, Newsweek, Biography) on the core facts: date of death, age, cause as described by family, and the contours of his career; that convergence strengthens the finding within the provided reporting [1] [4] [3] [2] [5] [6] [10] [8] [11] [12].

6. Areas where available sources do not provide detail

Available sources do not mention detailed medical records, the precise medical timeline leading to death, or any independent medical examiner’s report beyond the family’s statement and press reporting; they also do not include, in the materials provided here, transcripts of the family statement in full beyond summarized cause and location [1] [2] [6].

7. Alternative viewpoints and partisan reactions reported

While factual reporting of Cheney’s death is uniform, coverage includes divergent assessments of his legacy: some tributes stress patriotism and service (quoting former President George W. Bush and family statements), while critical commentary highlights his role in controversial policies and the expansion of executive power; both supportive and critical perspectives are present across outlets [1] [6] [9] [13].

8. Immediate practical answer to the original query

As of the reporting in these sources, former Vice President Richard B. Cheney is deceased; he died on November 3, 2025, at age 84, according to family statements and multiple major news outlets [1] [4] [2].

9. Why cross‑checking matters going forward

Obituaries and death notices are often updated with new details (service arrangements, written statements, or official proclamations). Readers seeking primary documents (the family statement, funeral program, or government notices) should consult the cited organizations’ original articles and the Washington National Cathedral release for direct texts and later corrections [7] [3] [1].

If you want, I can pull quoted excerpts from any single obituary above (for example, CNN, NYT, AP or Britannica) or list the headlines and links of each source cited here so you can review the original reporting.

Want to dive deeper?
Is Dick Cheney currently hospitalized or receiving medical care in 2025?
What public appearances or statements has Richard Cheney made in 2024–2025?
Has Dick Cheney made recent statements about his health or released a family death notice?
Which major news outlets reported on Richard Cheney’s status in 2025 and what sources did they cite?
If deceased, what were the reported cause and official dates surrounding Richard Cheney’s death?