Carpenter died Tuesday at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction. His family says he suffered an aneurysm.

Carpenter, a Republican, served in the state House from 1985 to 1988.

He was a civil engineer and started Plateau Engineering in Grand Junction.

Tilman Bishop, a former state senator and representative and now a University of Colorado regent, says Carpenter helped modernize state surveying practices and was instrumental in getting a state welcome center built on Interstate 70 near Fruita.

Carpenter is survived by his wife, Martha, three daughters, two sons, a brother, a sister and 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.