Former President George H.W. Bush Passes Away
41st President Dies in Houston
HOUSTON (CNN)- According to his spokesperson, former President George H.W. Bush has died in Houston Friday night.
The 41st President was born into privilege and a tradition of service.
Bush was a son of a senator, celebrated World War II combat pilot, student athlete, Texas oilman, Republican congressman, national party chairman, pioneering diplomat and spy chief.
After his own 1980 presidential campaign came up short, he served two terms as Ronald Reagan’s vice president.
He then reached the pinnacle of political power, winning the 1988 presidential election, soundly defeating Democrat Michael Dukakis.
Emphasizing the generosity of his soul, he forged a close–and unlikely–friendship with Democrat Bill Clinton, the man who ended his presidency.
Bush’s death comes after his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush, passed away April 17 of this year, at age 92.
Before her funeral, Bush was pictured in a wheelchair gazing at his wife’s flower-covered casket, in a moment that encapsulated their life-long love affair.
The elder Bush revealed several years ago he suffered from a form of Parkinson’s disease which left him unable to walk. He used a wheelchair or a scooter to get around.
When Parkinson’s disease mostly silenced him in public, Bush flashed his sense of humor by sporting colorful striped socks.
Bush suffered multiple health scares later in his life.
In December 2014 he was hospitalized for what aides described as a precautionary measure after experiencing shortness of breath, and the following July fell at his home in Kennebunkport, Maine, breaking the C2 vertebrae in his neck.
The injury did not result in any neurological problems, his spokesman said at the time.
Bush is survived by his son, and 43rd President, George W. Bush; his other son Jeb, the former Florida governor and 2016 presidential candidate; sons Neil and Marvin; daughter Dorothy; and 17 grandchildren.
