George W Bush has led tributes to his mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, who has died aged 92 two days after falling ill and saying she no longer wanted medical treatment.
‘My dear mother has passed on at age 92. Laura, Barbara, Jenna, and I are sad, but our souls are settled because we know hers was,’ the 43rd US president said in a joint family statement on Tuesday.
‘Barbara Bush was a fabulous First Lady and a woman unlike any other who brought levity, love, and literacy to millions.’
Bush held the hand of her husband, 41st president George H.W. Bush, all day on Tuesday and had him by her side when she passed away.
Barbara Bush (pictured left on March 18, 2005 and right with George W Bush at Fort Hood, Texas, on April 8, 2007), died on Tuesday, according to a statement from the office of former President George H.W. Bush
Bush was the wife of the 41st president, George H.W. Bush. They are pictured together in the residence they shared when he was Vice President in 1983
George W Bush, the 43rd president, remembered his mother as a woman who ‘brought levity, love, and literacy to millions’
Bush is pictured as the chair of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy in an undated photo, left, and in Houston, Texas, on August 23, 2001
The snowy-haired first lady brought a grandmotherly style to buttoned-down Washington, often appearing in her trademark fake pearl chokers and displaying no vanity about her white hair and wrinkles.
‘What you see with me is what you get. I’m not running for president — George Bush is,’ she said at the 1988 Republican National Convention, where her husband was nominated to succeed Ronald Reagan.
Her death on Tuesday was announced in a statement from the office of George H.W. Bush.
‘A former first lady of the United States of America and relentless proponent of family literacy, Barbara Pierce Bush passed away Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at the age of 92,’ it read.
Funeral services are planned for 11 am Saturday at St Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston. She will lie in repose from noon to midnight Friday at the church, and the funeral service is by invitation only. Burial will be on the grounds of the Bush library at Texas A&M University in College Station, about 100 miles northwest of Houston.
One of her 14 grandchildren, Texas land commissioner George P. Bush, tweeted: ‘My grandmother’s entire life was focused on others. For my grandfather, she was his top adviser and confidante. For her family, she was a steady, loving and guiding hand. And for her country, she was an inspiration and an example for all.
‘My grandmother didn’t just live life; she lived it well. And the sorrow of her loss is softened by the knowledge of her impact on our family and our country. I will miss you, Ganny—but know we will see you again.’
President Donald Trump released a joint statement with First Lady Melania Trump praising Bush’s ‘unfailing’ service to her country and family. he has ordered US flags to be flown at half-staff in her honor.
One of his 14 grandchildren, Texas land commissioner George P. Bush, posted his own heartfelt tribute on Twitter
Jeb Bush said in a statement the family looks forward to ‘celebrating and honoring’ Barbara Bush’s life
George W Bush posted this charming image of his parents holding hands on Instagram next to his tribute to the former first lady
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.’
Jeb Bush, who was governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007 and sought the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, said: ‘I’m exceptionally privileged to be the son of George Bush and the exceptionally gracious, gregarious, fun, funny, loving, tough, smart, graceful woman.
‘Thank you for your prayers, and we look forward to celebrating and honoring her life and contributions to our family and great nation in the coming days.’‘
A raft of former presidential couples also paid tributes to Bush as the news of her death emerged on Tuesday evening.
Bill Clinton praised her as a ‘remarkable woman’ who had ‘grit and grace, brains and beauty’, adding: ‘She showed us what an honest, vibrant, full life looks like. Hillary and I mourn her passing and bless her memory.’
Barack and Michelle Obama said: ‘Barbara Bush was the rock of a family dedicated to public service. We’ll always be grateful to Mrs. Bush for the generosity she showed to us throughout our time in the White House, but we’re even more grateful for the way she lived her life – as a testament to the fact that public service is an important and noble calling; as an example of the humility and decency that reflects the very best of the American spirit.’
President Trump released a statement praising Bush’s ‘unfailing’ service to her country and family alongside an old photo of her with President George H.W. Bush
George W Bush’s daughter Jenna Bush Hager said she could miss a woman who ‘adored her friends and family’ and whose loyalty was ‘unwavering’
39th president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, said: ‘She touched the hearts of millions with her warmth, generosity, and keen wit. The matriarch of a family dedicated to service, she urged volunteerism as a way for all citizens to participate in our nation’s progress.’
Former President Lyndon Johnson’s daughter, Lynda Johnson Robb, said she smiles when she thinks of Barbara Bush because her candor was always refreshing and her grace was endless.
Robb said Bush’s love of family ‘never wavered and she was always a true patriot.’ She says her family was fortunate to know her and ‘will always be grateful for her service to our country.’
Robb’s sister, Lucy Baines Johnson, described Bush as a ‘no-nonsense’ devoted mother to her family and the nation and was ‘wit, wisdom, honesty, and character on two feet.’
Johnson said Bush inspired ‘a ‘thousand points of light’ of service to our country and was a beacon to us all. We loved her for who she was and for what we became because of her example. Our hearts go out to her remarkable family and to all who loved her as we did. The world is a poorer place without Barbara Bush.’
The Bush family had announced in a statement on April 15 that she was in failing health, had decided not to seek further medical treatment and instead would focus on ‘comfort care.’
Bush reportedly had been battling a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart problems in recent years.
Bill Clinton praised Barbara Bush on Twitter as a ‘remarkable woman’ who had ‘grit and grace, brains and beauty’
Al Gore also shared his sentiments and condolences to the Bush family following the death of Barbara Bush
Mitt Romney: ‘Barbara raised a family of service & character, stood by her beloved husband in the best & worst of times, and spoke her convictions with courage & passion’
Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, also tweeted his condolences to the Bush family Tuesday night
Apple CEO Tim Cook thanked Barbara Bush for her ‘charity, literacy and love of country’
Clarissa Lockett holds a sign reading ‘Prayers for the Bush Family’ across the street from the gated community where former first lady Barbara Bush died earlier on Tuesday
Barbara Bush was dubbed ‘The Silver Fox’ by her husband and children due to her snow-white hair and was known for being highly protective of her family.
Her coiffed, matronly appearance often provoked jokes that she looked more like the boyish president’s mother than his wife. Late-night comedians quipped that her bright white hair and pale features also imparted a resemblance to George Washington.
The Bushes married on Jan. 6, 1945, and recently celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary, making them the longest presidential couple in history.
She was the first lady when her husband was in the White House from 1989 to 1993. Her son, meanwhile, triumphed in the disputed 2000 U.S. election and was president from 2001 to 2009.
The only other woman to be both wife and mother of US presidents was Abigail Adams, the first lady from 1797 to 1801.
Bush discouraged speculation that she wielded political influence with the president like her predecessors – Ronald Reagan’s wife, Nancy Reagan, and Jimmy Carter’s wife, Rosalynn Carter.
As the first lady, she promoted literacy and reading but said she was more interested in running a household than in helping her husband run the country.
‘I don’t fool around with his office and he doesn’t fool around with my household,’ she once said.
‘She’ll speak her mind but only to him,’ said Jack Steel, a longtime Bush aide.
The publisher’s daughter and oilman’s wife had an independent streak and could be sharp-tongued. But her public image was that of a self-sacrificing, supportive spouse who referred to her husband as her ‘hero.’
In the White House, ‘you need a friend, someone who loves you, who’s going to say, ‘You are great,’ Mrs. Bush said in a 1992 television interview.
‘I had the best job in America,’ she wrote in a 1994 memoir describing her time in the White House. ‘Every single day was interesting, rewarding, and sometimes just plain fun.’
The Bushes mark their 60th wedding anniversary on January 6, 2005, with a family photo in the White House. Pictured on the front row (left to right): Marvin Bush, Laura Bush, George W. Bush, Barbara Bush, George H. W. Bush, Jeb Bush. Also pictured, from left: Georgia Grace Koch, Margaret Bush, Brian Berzins Walker Bush, Jenna Bush Hager, Doro Bush, Barbara Pierce Bush, Robert P. Koch, Pierce Bush, Maria Bush, Neil Bush, Ashley Bush, Sam LeBlond, Robert Koch, Nancy Ellis LeBlond, John ‘Jebby’ Bush, Amanda Bush, George P. Bush, and Columba Bush
Paul Ryan shared a lengthy statement on Twitter saying Bush held a ‘revered place in the hearts of generations of Americans’
Then governor George W. Bush gives his mother a hug after a family portrait session in Texas on June 10, 1999
The news was announced on Tuesday evening in a statement from the office of former President George H.W. Bush
Bush held the hand of her husband, George H.W. Bush, all day on Tuesday and had him by her side when she passed away, according to the former president’s chief of staff
Bush seen being sworn during his inauguration on January 20, 1989, while Barbara looks on lovingly and Ronald Reagan stands in the background
The Bushes dance together at George H.W.’s Inaugural Ball, which was held in Washington DC on January 20, 1989
Barbara Bush waves alongside her husband before boarding Air Force One in an undated photo
Barbara set up households in numerous cities as her husband moved from being a Texas oilman to being a member of Congress, Republican Party leader, U.S. envoy to China and the United Nations and head of the CIA.
The Bushes had six children. A daughter, Robin, died of leukemia in 1953 at age 3. Barbara Bush’s hair began to turn prematurely white after the shock of the girl’s death.