Former U.S. First Lady Barbara Bush, the wife of former President George H. W. Bush and the mother of another president, has died at her home in Texas, her spokesman says. She was 92 years old.
Jim McGrath, a spokesman for the family, said Bush passed away on Tuesday at her home in Houston. Details about her funeral will be released later this week.
“My dear mother has passed on at age 92,” former President George W. Bush said. “Laura, Barbara, Jenna, and I are sad, but our souls are settled because we know hers was. Barbara Bush was a fabulous First Lady and a woman unlike any other who brought levity, love, and literacy to millions. To us, she was so much more.”
“Mom kept us on our toes and kept us laughing until the end,” George W. Bush added. “I’m a lucky man that Barbara Bush was my mother. Our family will miss her dearly, and we thank you all for your prayers and good wishes.”
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump described Bush as an advocate of the American family and said their thoughts and prayers are with her family. “She will be long remembered for her strong devotion to country and family, both of which she served unfailingly well,” the White House said.
Former President Bill Clinton described Bush as a “remarkable woman,” saying: “She had grit and grace, brains and beauty. She was fierce and feisty in support of her family and friends, her country and her causes. She showed us what an honest, vibrant, full life looks like. Hillary and I mourn her passing and bless her memory
Bush’s health had been failing over the past few years. She was reportedly suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which made it difficult to breathe, and congestive heart failure. She was also diagnosed with Graves’ disease in the 1980s.
Bush announced on Sunday that she would not be seeking additional medical treatment, focusing on comfort care instead.
Bush was First Lady from 1989 until 1993 while her husband, George H.W. Bush, served as President of the United States. She was also Second Lady from 1981 until 1989 while her husband served as vice president in Ronald Reagan’s administration.
Bush was also the mother of George W. Bush, who served as president from 2001 until 2009, and Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida who ran for president in 2016. The Bushes, who had been married for more than 73 years, also had 4 other children.
Driven by her passion for reading, Bush dedicated her post-White House life to the cause of literacy. If more people could read or write, “we could be much closer to solving so many other problems that our country faces,” she once said.
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