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NEW YORK. – Barbara Bush, the former US first lady and literacy campaigner, has died at the age of 92.
She was the matriarchal figure of a political dynasty that included two presidents – her husband George H.W Bush and son George W Bush.
Barbara Bush, who was first lady from 1989 to 1993, had been in failing health for some time and had declined further medical treatment.
Tributes to her poured in from across the US political establishment.
Her husband, at 93, is the longest-living US president. Their son, George, was elected in 2000 and served two terms as the nation’s 43rd president.
He said in a statement: “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. Barbara Bush was a fabulous First Lady and a woman unlike any other who brought levity, love, and literacy to millions.”
Bush said his mother had “kept us on our toes and kept us laughing until the end”, adding: “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.”
A statement from the office of her husband described her as a “relentless proponent of family literacy”.
Barbara Bush was also the mother of Jeb Bush, who served as governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007 and unsuccessfully ran for the White House in 2016.
As first lady, Barbara Bush went beyond the traditional role of a political spouse, founding the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy to help parents and children from disadvantaged communities to read and write.
In a statement from the White House, President Donald Trump said Barbara Bush would be long remembered for her devotion to country and family, “both of which she served unfailingly well”.
Barack and Michelle Obama described her as “the rock of a family dedicated to public service” and as “an example of the humility and decency that reflects the very best of the American spirit”.
Another former US president, Bill Clinton, said Mrs Bush was “feisty in support of her family and friends, her country and her causes”.
He said he and Hillary Clinton would “never forget the courtesy she and President Bush showed us”. – BBC
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