Barbara Bush Dies: Former First Lady & American Political Matriarch Was 92
Barbara Bush, the American political matriarch who was married to one U.S. president and the mother of another, died today in Houston. She was 92. Her family had announced Monday that she no longer was seeking medical treatment and had been moved to comfort care.
The Bush family released this statement:
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump also released a statement about the news:
President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump join the Nation in celebrating the life of Barbara Bush. As a wife, mother, grandmother, military spouse, and former First Lady, Mrs. Bush was an advocate of the American family. Amongst her greatest achievements was recognizing the importance of literacy as a fundamental family value that requires nurturing and protection. She will be long remembered for her strong devotion to country and family, both of which she served unfailingly well. The President and First Lady’s thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mrs. Bush.
Born Barbara Pierce on June 8, 1925, in Manhattan, she met George H.W. Bush at a dance when she was 16. They were engaged by the time he left for service in World War II, and they were married in 1945 when he was home on leave. Their union would create an unrivaled American political dynasty as her husband became the 41st president of the United States in 1989 and their oldest child, George W. Bush, took office as POTUS 43 a dozen years later.
Their third child, Jeb, was the governor of Florida from 1997-2007, and he ran for president in 2016, losing the GOP nomination to Trump.
Barbara Bush spent much her life before cameras. Her husband first was elected to national office in 1966, as a congressman from Texas. He would go on to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Chair of the Republican National Committee, Director of the CIA, then Vice President to Ronald Reagan from 1981-89 before succeeding him in the Oval Office.
The former first lady was a regular on TV screens, often doing network morning news shows, late-night and daytime talkers, newsmagazines and documentaries. A tireless advocate of literacy, she appeared on educational series such as Sesame Street and later did a Saturday Night Live special called Presidential Bash 2000. Her most recent screen credit was the 2017 Lady Gaga documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two.
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