George H.W. Bush reportedly held his dying wife's hand to the end

While she was alive, Barbara Bush, stayed with her husband no matter what. When she was dying, George H. W. Bush made sure he was by her side.

Yahoo has now updated the world on how George is coping with his wife’s death. She passed away on April 17, 2018, after her health started failing.

George’s long-time chief of staff, Jean Becker, sent out a statement on Tuesday night after Barbara’s death. In his statement, he shared that George was facing a challenging time dealing with her death.

“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. He is determined to be there for them as well,” the statement explained.

It concluded by stating that the former President appreciated all the well wishes and support. People shared that her death was announced by her husband’s office on Tuesday in another statement.

The statement revealed that she was survived by her husband of 73 years, 5 children and their spouses, 17 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren. She was also survived by her brother Scott Pierce.

Barbara was preceded in death by her second child, Pauline ‘Robin’ Bush, and her siblings Martha Rafferty and James R. Pierce. Her daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, took to Instagram to share a series of photos of the former First Lady.

“So many of you are asking, ‘How is 41?’ He, of course, is broken-hearted to lose his beloved Barbara, his wife of 73 years.’”

Jean Becker, Yahoo, April 18, 2018

She revealed that she missed her grandmother because she was the glue that held her family together. Hager explained that Barbara had taught her to use her voice but to also value the opinions of others.

She stated that her grandmother had adored her friends and family and her loyalty was unwavering. The granddaughter also confessed that she would miss Barbara’s laughter.

‘Thinking of my Gampy tonight —no doubt missing his beloved desperately. Gans, people stopped me all the time to tell me how much they loved you,’ Hager shared.

Her father, former president George W. Bush, shared a photo of his parents on Instagram. In that image, they were holding hands and leaning on each other.

He wrote a heartfelt message sharing that his mother was a woman who had kept them on their toes and laughing until the end. George W. added that his family would miss her dearly.

Former White House photographer for President Barack Obama, Pete Souza, posted a picture of Barbara and her husband and sent his condolences to the family. The former First Lady had a lung disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

She also suffered from congestive heart failure.