Former US President George H.W. Bush dies at 94
The news was revealed in a statement by his son, George W. Bush on Saturday.
Former US President Bill Clinton said he was “forever grateful for the friendship we formed.”
GESTURE GOES VIRAL
A handwritten note from George Bush Snr. penned to Bill Clinton, who defeated him after one term in 1992, has gone viral in the hours after his death.
The gracious message was dated January 20, 1993. Mr Bush wrote:
US 41’ST PRESIDENT
George H.W Bush’s death follows that of his wife of 73 years, Barbara, who died aged 92 on April 17.
It was revealed at Barbara Bush’s funeral that George had been hospitalised at the same time as her.
George was admitted back into hospital the day after Barbara’s funeral when an existing infection spread to his blood.
Bush
also spent time at Southern Maine Health care in May after he
experienced fatigue and low blood pressure. He was taken there after he
met with other military veterans for a pancake breakfast at the American
Legion Post 159 in Kennebunkport.
He had spent every summer in the seaside town since childhood, except during World War II while he was a naval aviator.
Bush was the patriarch of one of America’s most formidable political dynasties. Not only was he the 41st President of the United States, he served as Vice President under Ronald Reagan for two terms, from 1981 to 1989, and his eldest son George W Bush also attained the White House as the 43rd President. His second son, Jeb, was the first two-term Republican governor of Florida and was an unsuccessful contender for the GOP’s nomination for the presidency in 2016, losing to Donald Trump.
EARLY DAYS: MILITARY CAREER AND MAKING MONEY
Prior to his political career, Bush served in the US Navy as an aviator during the Second World War.
Following his discharge from the military, he obtained a degree in economics at Yale before moving to Texas and establishing his own oil company. He proved to be a successful businessman and was a millionaire by the age of 40.
Developing an interest in politics, Bush joined the Republican party in 1959 and a few years later ran an unsuccessful campaign for the US Senate.
In 1971, he was appointed by then President, Richard Nixon, as US ambassador to the United Nations. He continued to support Nixon when the Watergate Scandal broke in 1973, but as Chairman of the Republican National Committee he eventually asked Nixon to resign for the good of the party.
Bush then took on the role of director of the CIA in the mid 1970s.
TWELVE YEARS IN THE SEAT OF POWER
In 1980, Bush became Vice President of the United States after losing the primaries to Ronald Reagan, who later won the general election. Together they served two terms in the White House.
In 1988, Bush ran for President, and won.
During his time as president, the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union and communism collapsed, and the Cold War ended.
Bush’s actions after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait led to the destruction of Iraq’s armies and the restoration of Kuwait’s independence.
Bush’s popularity declined massively in 1990 after he broke a campaign promise not to raise taxes.
In 1992, Bush failed to be re-elected, losing to Bill Clinton. Eight years later, he helped his eldest son, George W Bush, become president by joining him on the campaign trail.
A STEADFAST UNION
Barbara Bush (nee Pierce) first met George H.W. Bush when she was 17 years old and they married in January 1945, when she was 19.
They had six children and were married longer than any presidential couple in American history.
The Bushes were renowned for the happiness of their marriage, which was underscored with gentle good humour.
George Jr revealed that a “crowning achievement” of his father, who was fond of coming up with nicknames for friends and family, was anointing Barbara, “The Silver Fox” in honour of her snowy white hair.
Upon her death, a spokesman for George Sr said he was “broken-hearted to lose his beloved Barbara, wife of 73 years. He held her hand all day today and was at her side when she left this good Earth.”
DECLINING HEALTH
Recent years have seen the former president’s health decline, including a diagnosis of vascular Parkinsonism that has left him wheelchair bound.
In April 2017, Bush spent two weeks in hospital for treatment of pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, a constant irritation of the lining of tubes that carry air to one’s lungs. Bush’s doctors said chronic bronchitis is a condition more prevalent with age and can aggravate the symptoms of pneumonia.
Bush was hospitalised for 16 days in January 2017 for pneumonia. During that hospital stay, which included time in intensive care, doctors inserted a breathing tube and connected him to a ventilator.
He also was hospitalised in 2015 in Maine after falling at home and breaking a bone in his neck, and in December 2014 for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.
Last year, he was one of many men in power who faced allegations of sexual harassment. Several women came forward to make claims against Bush, with accusations dating as far back to 1992. A spokesman for Bush said he apologised for any offence caused and that any inappropriate touching was “unintentional”.
TIMELINE
1924: George Herbert Walker Bush born on June 12 in Massachusetts to parents Prescott Bush and Dorothy Walker Bush.
1941: Bush postpones his university studies to enlist in the US Navy following attacks on Pearl Harbor. He had just turned 18 and was the Navy’s youngest aviator at the time.
1944: Bush’s plane is hit by enemy fire but he manages to complete his mission before ejecting from the plane. He is eventually rescued by a submarine.
1945: In January, Bush marries Barbara Pierce. Later that year, he receives an honourable discharge after the end of World War II.
1946: George and Barbara have the first of their six children — George W Bush, who will later follow his father’s footsteps to the White House.
1948: Graduates from Yale University with a degree in economics after just two and a half years of study.
1951: Bush gets into the oil and petroleum business. His success leads him to becoming a millionaire.
1964: After taking on the role as Chairman of the Republican Party in Texas, Bush decides to run for a seat in the US Senate but is unsuccessful.
1966: Elected to the House of Representatives.
1971: Becomes the US ambassador to the United Nations.
1976: Takes on the role as the director of the CIA.
1980: Bush campaigns to be president but is beaten in the primaries by Ronald Reagan, who wins the Presidency. Reagan selects Bush to be his vice President.
1984: Reagan is re-elected and Bush continues to serves as vice president.
1988: Bush finally wins the Presidential election after beating Democrat Michael Dukakis at the polls, becoming the 41st President of the United States.
1990: Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against those who are disabled. It is considered one of the greatest achievements during his presidency. He also increases taxes, breaking his “no new taxes” campaign promise. The move sees him lose public support.
1992: Bush loses the election to Bill Clinton.
2000: Joins the campaign of his eldest son, George W. Bush, who is elected as president.
2005: Teams up with Bill Clinton to raise funds for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. They raise more than US$100 million within just a few months.
2011: President Barack Obama presents Bush with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
2012: Bush suffers health problems and is diagnosed with a form of Parkinson’s.
2017: Bush is accused of sexual harassment with allegations dating back to 1992.
2018: His wife of 73 years, Barbara, dies at home in Houston, aged 92.
Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear dad has died, George W Bush wrote.
George H.W Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for.
The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41’s life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens.
 |
| Former president George H.W. Bush with his son former president George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush. Picture: AFPSource:AFP |
Current president Donald Trump and first lady Melania said they “join with a grieving nation to mourn the loss” of George Bush Snr.Statement by the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, on the passing of his father this evening at the age 94. pic.twitter.com/oTiDq1cE7h— Jim McGrath (@jgm41) December 1, 2018
Through his essential authenticity, disarming wit, and unwavering commitment to faith, family and his country, President Bush inspired generations of his fellow Americans to public service — to be, in his words, “a thousand points of light” illuminating the greatness, hope and opportunity of America to the world, a Trump issued statement read.
President Bush always found a way to set the bar higher … with sound judgment, common sense and unflappable leadership, President Bush guided our nation, and the world, to a peaceful and victorious conclusion of the Cold War.
As president, he set the stage for the decades of prosperity that have followed. And through all that he accomplished, he remained humble, following the quiet call to service that gave him a clear sense of direction.
We will remember President Bush for his devotion to family — especially the love of his life, Barbara. His example lives on, and will continue to stir future Americans to pursue a greater cause.
Former president Barack Obama said the nation had lost a patriot. Obama credited him with “expanding America’s promise to new immigrants and people with disabilities and reducing the scourge of nuclear weapons to build a broad international coalition.Statement from President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the Passing of Former President George H.W. Bush pic.twitter.com/qxPsp4Ggs7— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2018
And when democratic revolutions bloomed across Eastern Europe, it was his steady, diplomatic hand that made possible an achievement once thought anything but — ending the Cold War without firing a shot, he said.
Former US President Bill Clinton said he was “forever grateful for the friendship we formed.”
From the moment I met him as a young governor invited to his home in Kennebunkport, I was struck by the kindness he showed to Chelsea, by his innate and genuine decency, and by his devotion to Barbara, his children, and their growing brood, he said.
GESTURE GOES VIRAL
A handwritten note from George Bush Snr. penned to Bill Clinton, who defeated him after one term in 1992, has gone viral in the hours after his death.
The gracious message was dated January 20, 1993. Mr Bush wrote:
When I walked into this office just now I felt the same sense of wonder and respect that I felt four years ago. I know you will feel that, too.
I wish you great happiness here. I never felt the loneliness some presidents have described.
There will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. I’m not a very good one to give advice; but just don’t let the critics discourage you or push you off course.
You will be our president when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well.
Your success is now our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you.
George H.W. Bush’s letter to Bill Clinton, Inaugural Day 1993: pic.twitter.com/DDoObe0Anv— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) September 3, 2017
US 41’ST PRESIDENT
George H.W Bush’s death follows that of his wife of 73 years, Barbara, who died aged 92 on April 17.
It was revealed at Barbara Bush’s funeral that George had been hospitalised at the same time as her.
I think Dad got sick on purpose so that he could be with her, Jeb Bush said during his eulogy to his mother.
George was admitted back into hospital the day after Barbara’s funeral when an existing infection spread to his blood.
 |
| August 1992: President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush walk with their dog Millie across the South Lawn. Picture: APSource:AP |
He had spent every summer in the seaside town since childhood, except during World War II while he was a naval aviator.
Bush was the patriarch of one of America’s most formidable political dynasties. Not only was he the 41st President of the United States, he served as Vice President under Ronald Reagan for two terms, from 1981 to 1989, and his eldest son George W Bush also attained the White House as the 43rd President. His second son, Jeb, was the first two-term Republican governor of Florida and was an unsuccessful contender for the GOP’s nomination for the presidency in 2016, losing to Donald Trump.
EARLY DAYS: MILITARY CAREER AND MAKING MONEY
Prior to his political career, Bush served in the US Navy as an aviator during the Second World War.
Following his discharge from the military, he obtained a degree in economics at Yale before moving to Texas and establishing his own oil company. He proved to be a successful businessman and was a millionaire by the age of 40.
Developing an interest in politics, Bush joined the Republican party in 1959 and a few years later ran an unsuccessful campaign for the US Senate.
In 1971, he was appointed by then President, Richard Nixon, as US ambassador to the United Nations. He continued to support Nixon when the Watergate Scandal broke in 1973, but as Chairman of the Republican National Committee he eventually asked Nixon to resign for the good of the party.
Bush then took on the role of director of the CIA in the mid 1970s.
TWELVE YEARS IN THE SEAT OF POWER
In 1980, Bush became Vice President of the United States after losing the primaries to Ronald Reagan, who later won the general election. Together they served two terms in the White House.
In 1988, Bush ran for President, and won.
During his time as president, the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union and communism collapsed, and the Cold War ended.
Bush’s actions after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait led to the destruction of Iraq’s armies and the restoration of Kuwait’s independence.
 |
| George H.W. Bush is sworn in as the new director of the CIA by Supreme Court Associate Justice Potter Stewart as Barbara Bush looks on, January 1976. Picture: AP PhotoSource:AP |
In 1992, Bush failed to be re-elected, losing to Bill Clinton. Eight years later, he helped his eldest son, George W Bush, become president by joining him on the campaign trail.
A STEADFAST UNION
Barbara Bush (nee Pierce) first met George H.W. Bush when she was 17 years old and they married in January 1945, when she was 19.
They had six children and were married longer than any presidential couple in American history.
The Bushes were renowned for the happiness of their marriage, which was underscored with gentle good humour.
George Jr revealed that a “crowning achievement” of his father, who was fond of coming up with nicknames for friends and family, was anointing Barbara, “The Silver Fox” in honour of her snowy white hair.
Upon her death, a spokesman for George Sr said he was “broken-hearted to lose his beloved Barbara, wife of 73 years. He held her hand all day today and was at her side when she left this good Earth.”
Recent years have seen the former president’s health decline, including a diagnosis of vascular Parkinsonism that has left him wheelchair bound.
In April 2017, Bush spent two weeks in hospital for treatment of pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, a constant irritation of the lining of tubes that carry air to one’s lungs. Bush’s doctors said chronic bronchitis is a condition more prevalent with age and can aggravate the symptoms of pneumonia.
Bush was hospitalised for 16 days in January 2017 for pneumonia. During that hospital stay, which included time in intensive care, doctors inserted a breathing tube and connected him to a ventilator.
He also was hospitalised in 2015 in Maine after falling at home and breaking a bone in his neck, and in December 2014 for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.
Last year, he was one of many men in power who faced allegations of sexual harassment. Several women came forward to make claims against Bush, with accusations dating as far back to 1992. A spokesman for Bush said he apologised for any offence caused and that any inappropriate touching was “unintentional”.
TIMELINE
1924: George Herbert Walker Bush born on June 12 in Massachusetts to parents Prescott Bush and Dorothy Walker Bush.
1941: Bush postpones his university studies to enlist in the US Navy following attacks on Pearl Harbor. He had just turned 18 and was the Navy’s youngest aviator at the time.
1944: Bush’s plane is hit by enemy fire but he manages to complete his mission before ejecting from the plane. He is eventually rescued by a submarine.
1945: In January, Bush marries Barbara Pierce. Later that year, he receives an honourable discharge after the end of World War II.
1946: George and Barbara have the first of their six children — George W Bush, who will later follow his father’s footsteps to the White House.
1948: Graduates from Yale University with a degree in economics after just two and a half years of study.
November
2007: George H.W. Bush free falls with Golden Knights parachute team
member Sgt. 1st
1964: After taking on the role as Chairman of the Republican Party in Texas, Bush decides to run for a seat in the US Senate but is unsuccessful.
1966: Elected to the House of Representatives.
1971: Becomes the US ambassador to the United Nations.
1976: Takes on the role as the director of the CIA.
1980: Bush campaigns to be president but is beaten in the primaries by Ronald Reagan, who wins the Presidency. Reagan selects Bush to be his vice President.
1984: Reagan is re-elected and Bush continues to serves as vice president.
1988: Bush finally wins the Presidential election after beating Democrat Michael Dukakis at the polls, becoming the 41st President of the United States.
1990: Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against those who are disabled. It is considered one of the greatest achievements during his presidency. He also increases taxes, breaking his “no new taxes” campaign promise. The move sees him lose public support.
1992: Bush loses the election to Bill Clinton.
2000: Joins the campaign of his eldest son, George W. Bush, who is elected as president.
2005: Teams up with Bill Clinton to raise funds for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. They raise more than US$100 million within just a few months.
2011: President Barack Obama presents Bush with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
2012: Bush suffers health problems and is diagnosed with a form of Parkinson’s.
2017: Bush is accused of sexual harassment with allegations dating back to 1992.
2018: His wife of 73 years, Barbara, dies at home in Houston, aged 92.
Source: news.com.au
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