Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, 94, the 41st president of the U.S. and father of the 43rd president, died late Friday, his family announced in a public statement.
Bush flew 58 combat missions as a U.S. Navy pilot in World War II and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery.
His life in public service included an appointment as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush.
As a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. president in 1979, Bush famously referred to the supply-side economic theories favored by his Republican rival, Ronald Reagan, as “voodoo economics.” He said he voted for the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, in the 2016 general election instead of Donald Trump, according to a report in the Washington Post.
