Former US President George H.W. Bush has died at age 94 in Houston, according to his family spokesperson.
US media reported that family spokesman Jim McGrath said Bush passed away shortly after 10 pm on Friday at his Houston home. His passing comes about eight months after the death of his wife, Barbara Bush to whom he was married for 73 years.
His son, former president George W Bush, led the tributes to his father.
“Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died,” Bush said in a statement.
“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,” the statement read.
The first sitting vice president to be elected to the presidency since 1836, Bush was also only the second person in US history to see his own son follow in his presidential footsteps when George W. Bush was elected in 2000.
US President Donald Trump paid tribute to his predecessor, praising his lifetime of service to the nation and “unflappable leadership” during the waning days of the Cold War.
“Melania and I join with a grieving nation to mourn the loss of former president George H.W. Bush,” Mr Trump said in a statement from Buenos Aires, where he was attending the G20 summit.
“Through his essential authenticity, disarming wit, and unwavering commitment to faith, family, and country, President Bush inspired generations of his fellow Americans to public service.”
