Former US First Lady Barbara Bush, the only woman to see her husband and son both sworn in as president, died on Tuesday. Barbara Bush was 92.
Ms. Bush was the wife of the 41st president of the US, George H.W. Bush, and mother of the 43rd president, George W. Bush.
Her death has triggered an outpouring of praise for the matriarch of a Republican family once at the apex of American politics.
President Donald Trump and former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton were among those praising the late first lady.
“She will be long remembered for her strong devotion to country and family, both of which she served unfailingly well,” Trump and his wife, Melania, said in a statement that noted Bush’s championing of literacy “as a fundamental family value.”
Clinton, who defeated her husband in the 1992 presidential election, described Mrs. Bush as “fierce and feisty in support of her family and friends, her country and her causes.
“She showed us what an honest, vibrant, full life looks like.” Obama and his wife, Michelle, said in a statement. The couple added that Barbara Bush was “an example of the humility and decency that reflects the very best of the American spirit.”
In honor of Bush’s life, President Donald Trump ordered that the US flag be flown at half-staff until sundown on the day she is buried, at all public buildings and grounds, as well as military posts and vessels.
