--- title: George H.W. Bush 'Broken-Hearted' After Barbara Bush's Death description: Former First Lady Barbara Bush died at the age of 92 on Tuesday. President George H.W. Bush is "broken-hearted" but "stoic and strong." canonical: https://time.com/5244311/barbara-bush-george-hw-bush-broken-heart/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-04-18T02:01:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T09:06:34.989Z article:section: Politics og:title: George H.W. Bush 'Broken-Hearted' After the Death of Barbara Bush og:description: The former First Lady died at the age of 92 og:url: https://time.com/5244311/barbara-bush-george-hw-bush-broken-heart/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7d8a4992d72e20f1/69877f59428a9e050ccc7265/ap80942778497.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4896 og:image:height: 2754 og:image:alt: Barbara Bush og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: George H.W. Bush 'Broken-Hearted' After the Death of Barbara Bush twitter:description: The former First Lady died at the age of 92 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7d8a4992d72e20f1/69877f59428a9e050ccc7265/ap80942778497.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'He Held Her Hand All Day.' George H.W. Bush 'Broken-Hearted' After the Death of Barbara Bush > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=cd4a1639-2c46-4877-bee2-ff3a54a0b77a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Former First Lady Barbara Bush Dead At 92 [Watch (HLS stream): Former First Lady Barbara Bush Dead At 92](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/oDYIf79a.m3u8) (1:18)  _Published 2018-04-17. Former First Lady Barbara Bush Dead At 92_ by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Apr 18, 2018 2:01 AM UTC Former First Lady Barbara Bush Dead At 92 by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Apr 18, 2018 2:01 AM UTC Former First Lady [Barbara Bush](http://time.com/5244218/barbara-bush-death-reaction/) died on Tuesday at the age of 92, leaving behind her husband of 73 years, President George H.W. Bush. The President was “broken-hearted to lose his beloved Barbara,” Jean Becker, the chief of staff for George H.W. Bush’s office said in a statement. “He held her hand all day today and was at her side when \[she\] left this good earth,” Becker said. “Obviously this is a very challenging time. But it will not surprise all of you who know and love him, that he also is being stoic and strong, and is being lifted up by his large and supportive family.” > [](https://twitter.com/jgm41/status/986417446407016448) Barbara Bush’s other family members banded together in support. Her sons, former President George W. Bush and Jeb Bush, said in separate tributes that they were [lucky to have had her as a mother](http://time.com/5244192/barbara-bush-death-george-w-bush/). “Mom kept us on our toes and kept us laughing until the end,” George W. Bush said. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States. [ MUSIC ] I love people. I really, I really loved living in the withe house. [ MUSIC ] Mrs. Bush is here today to read us a storybook I borrowed from the Sesame Street library. The way a child learns to read starts at home. The parents are the first teachers. 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