10 notable Christian deaths of 2018
Barbara Bush – April 17, 2018
Former first lady of the United States Barbara Bush, one of only two women in history to be both the spouse and the mother of an American president, died at age 92.
The wife of former President George H.W. Bush, Barbara was an advocate for literacy, founding the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy in 1989, the same year she became first lady.
In 2001, Mrs. Bush became the first woman since Abigail Adams to have been married to a president and be the mother of a president when her son, George W. Bush, was sworn in for his first term.
A few days before her death, the Office of George H.W. Bush released a statement explaining that following a series of hospitalizations, Mrs. Bush had decided to cease seeking medical treatment for her failing health.
"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 office said in a statement.
"She is surrounded by a family she adores, and appreciates the many kind messages and especially the prayers she is receiving."