As the country mourns the passing of Barbara Bush, who died on April 17, we salute the loss of this Aging Boldly icon. She enjoyed the rare status of being both a First Lady and the mother of a U.S. President—the only other woman to achieve that was Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams. Bush’s son Jeb was a former governor of Florida, too.
Married for 73 years to Bush senior (that’s the longest marriage in presidential history), she was known for her outgoing nature, good humor and sense of style—no dye for her white hair, thank you, and pearl necklaces always in place. But the example of service she set was one of the most memorable aspects of her life. A devotee of volunteer work, she embraced literacy as a critical issue, saying it was entwined in other struggles families face. The honorary chairwoman of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, she worked for decades to shine a light on literacy events across America.
She instilled that love of serving others in her large clan, recently saying, “”All of our children are working and serving others in their own way, along with my 17 grandchildren. I am very proud.” And for good reason.
–Janet Siroto
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