Barbara Bush, popular first lady who was also the mother of a president, dies at 92
Barbara Pierce Bush, who helped propel her husband and their son to the presidency and became by virtue of her wit, self-deprecation and work on literacy one of the most popular first ladies in U.S. history, has died, according to a family spokesman.
Bush, who suffered from heart and respiratory problems, was 92.
On Sunday, the office of her husband of 73 years, President George H.W. Bush, said that following a series of hospitalizations, she had "decided not to seek additional medical treatment and will instead focus on comfort care."
"It will not surprise those who know her that Barbara Bush has been a rock in the face of her failing health, worrying not for herself - thanks to her abiding faith - but for others," the statement said. "She is surrounded by a family she adores, and appreciates the many kind messages and, especially, the prayers she is receiving."
The announcement led to an outpouring of praise from the public and high-ranking officials from across the political spectrum.
Bush is the second woman in U.S. history to have been the wife of one president and the mother of another. But Barbara Bush, unlike Abigail Adams, the wife of second U.S. President John Adams and mother of sixth U.S.
