Updated at 8:27 p.m.
Former first lady Barbara Bush died at the age of 92 on Tuesday after a year-long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure.
The former first lady’s declining condition landed her in and out of the hospital multiple times over the past year, and on Sunday, she made the decision to stop receiving medical treatment and focus on comfort care.
She was married to former President George H.W. Bush for 73 years and was the mother to former President George W. Bush. She was the only woman to see her husband and son be elected as president of the United States. The mother of six children, her daughter Robin died of Leukemia as a child, is survived by the remaining five children, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, 17 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
[Related: Barbara Bush: Her life in photos]
She became a proud spokeswoman for her sons, George and Jeb, as they followed in their father’s footsteps and ran for prominent state and national political offices.
When her husband served as vice president, Bush started the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and spent a majority of her public life dedicated to improving literacy rates across the U.S.
“I chose literacy because I honestly believe that if more people could read, write, and comprehend, we would be that much closer to solving so many of the problems that plague our nation and our society,” she said.
After leaving the White House, the couple raised more than a billion dollars for a number of charities and causes.
A spokesperson for the family said a funeral schedule will be announced shortly.
Statement by the Office of @GeorgeHWBush on the passing of Barbara Pierce Bush this evening at the age of 92. pic.twitter.com/c6JU0xy6Vc
— Jim McGrath (@jgm41) April 17, 2018
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to say Bush is survived by 17 grandchildren, not seven.
