Jenna Bush Hager Shared a Sweet Memory of the Late Colin Powell, ’He Was Just Such a Wonderful Man‘

• Jenna Bush Hager shared a sweet memory of her and Colin Powell in a segment on Today with Hoda and Jenna, in a tribute to the late former U.S. Secretary of State.

• The former First Daughter recalled a time she played Monopoly with Powell and her cousin, Pierce Bush.

• Powell died from complications of COVID-19 at age 84, and Jenna said he was a “wonderful man.”

Jenna Bush Hager is reflecting on some special memories she shared with the late Colin Powell in a new segment on Today with Hoda and Jenna. The former U.S. Secretary of State, who served during the George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush administrations, passed away yesterday following complications from COVID-19.

“He was a trailblazer, as everybody knows,” Jenna told Hoda Kotb. “But I knew him as a person. He was very close with my grandfather.” Bush Hager said Powell would often go on vacations with the Bush family, and she recalled a specific time she played a game of Monopoly with Powell and her cousin Pierce Bush.

“My cousin pierce was a bad sport ... and Colin Powell said to him, ‘Pierce ... we don't have to be a bad sport,’” Jenna recalled. The Today host said once the news of Powell's death broke, Pierce texted her saying that he'll never forget Powell teaching him about sportsmanship.

“He was just such a wonderful, wonderful man, and he represents so much for our country,” Jenna continued. “I just admired him and loved him.” The former First Daughter isn't the only one in her family to pay tribute to Powell—George W. Bush released a statement on Monday honoring the late Secretary of State.

“Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of Colin Powell. He was a great public servant, starting with his time as a soldier during Vietnam. Many Presidents relied on General Powell’s counsel and experience,” Bush wrote. “He was National Security Adviser under President Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under my father and President Clinton, and Secretary of State during my Administration.”

“He was such a favorite of Presidents that he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom—twice. He was highly respected at home and abroad,” he continued. “And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man.”

Powell died following complications from COVID-19, his family announced in a statement. “General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from COVID-19. He was fully vaccinated,” the statement reads. Powell was also previously diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that makes it difficult for the body to fight infection (like COVID-19), and prostate cancer.

“We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring treatment,” his family continued. “We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather, and a great American.”

It's clear Powell was beloved by so many. May he rest in peace, and live on in the memories of those who knew him, like Bush Hager.

You Might Also Like

• The Best Yoga Mats, According to Top Yoga Instructors

• The Shockingly Simple Diet Change This Woman Made to Drop 54 Pounds

• Losing Stubborn Belly Fat Really Comes Down to These Two Lifestyle Changes